September 15, 2025

Independent Health Once Again Named New York State’s Highest Rated Commercial Health Plan

Independent Health is the only health plan in New York state—and one of just eight plans in the entire nation—rated 5 out of 5 Stars in NCQA’s Commercial Health Plan Ratings.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (September 15, 2025) – For the third consecutive year, Independent Health has earned the highest possible overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) 2025 Commercial Health Plan Ratings. Independent Health’s HMO/POS (Commercial) plan was the only plan in New York, and one of just eight Commercial plans that received an overall rating of 5 out of 5 Stars for 2025.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Its annual Health Plan Ratings help plans evaluate whether members are receiving high-quality, coordinated care and service.

For the 2025 ratings, NCQA reviewed 556 Commercial health plans nationwide, evaluating their products based on their combined Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), and NCQA Accreditation scores. Each plan was rated on a 5-star scale for patient experience, prevention and population, and treatment.

“Independent Health’s 5-Star rating is the result of our associates’ dedication to identifying and understanding the health needs of our Western New York neighbors, and our focus on delivering the support, services and quality our members need to live healthier lives,” said Michael W. Cropp, M.D., president and CEO of Independent Health. “We’re able to achieve this and other top  national accolades through the collaborative efforts with our physician and provider partners, who make sure our members get the appropriate preventive care and disease management services they need to stay healthy.”

In addition, Independent Health has Full Accreditation by NCQA for its Commercial line of business, which helps the organization examine data, understand member risk/cost/utilization, and develop population health programs that address the needs of our members.

Other Honors and Recognition for 2025
The 2025 5-star Commercial plan rating from NCQA joins other recent accolades:

• Ranked #1 nationally in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program – For the third straight year, Independent Health ranked number one among 67 health plans nationwide participating in the 2024 FEHB program, which provides health insurance to federal employees, retirees and their covered dependents. Independent Health’s outstanding QCR score reflected top performance in clinical quality, customer service and resource use. Independent Health, which covers more than 4,000 FEHB members, received the highest score in 10 of 24 categories, including cancer screenings, blood pressure control, diabetes care and overall health plan rating, as well as a near-perfect score in the categories of Childhood Immunization Status and Getting Care Quickly.
  
  
• Highest Overall Score in New York State for Medicaid Managed Care – For the fourth consecutive year, Independent Health achieved Tier 1 Status as part of the Medicaid Managed Care Quality Incentive Program through the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Based on 2023 data, Independent Health’s overall score was the highest among all participating health plans in the state. The program evaluates performance in quality and member experience.
  
  
• Top-Rated Medicare Advantage Plan – Independent Health’s Medicare Advantage plans received a 4.5 out of 5 Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2025. The Star Ratings are an unbiased way to compare Medicare Advantage plans based on quality, value and performance. Using a Five-Star Quality Rating System, with 5 being the highest-rated plan, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates all Medicare Advantage health plans on an annual basis. Our consistently strong Star Ratings are a testament to our long-standing commitment of delivering high-quality coverage and outstanding service to our members.

The complete NCQA Health Plan Ratings for 2025 are available on NCQA’s website.

About NCQA
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA’s HEDIS® is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s website (https://www.ncqa.org/) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices.