MemorialCare Earns Coveted 5-Star Rating for Senior Healthcare Excellence

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA – December 30, 2025 – In a significant affirmation of quality in one of the nation's most competitive healthcare markets, MemorialCare Medical Group and MemorialCare Independent Physicians have been awarded a prestigious 5-star rating for 2025 by SCAN Health Plan. The recognition, announced at SCAN’s Annual Quality Symposium, designates the two provider groups as top performers within the major Medicare Advantage plan’s network, highlighting an exceptional commitment to the health and independence of seniors across Orange and Los Angeles counties.

This top-tier rating is not merely a commendation but a data-driven validation of MemorialCare's clinical excellence and patient-centered approach. For the nearly two million seniors residing in the service area, this distinction serves as a crucial benchmark for quality, simplifying the often-complex process of choosing a healthcare provider within the Medicare Advantage system.

The Gold Standard: What a 5-Star Rating Signifies

The 5-star rating system is the gold standard for measuring healthcare quality within the Medicare Advantage program. It is rooted in the rigorous and multifaceted Star Rating system established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This federal evaluation framework is designed to provide consumers with a reliable, unbiased assessment of a health plan's and its providers' performance across dozens of metrics. SCAN Health Plan, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans, uses these stringent CMS criteria as a foundation for evaluating its provider partners.

To achieve a 5-star rating, a medical group must demonstrate outstanding performance in several key domains:

• Preventive Care: Proactively ensuring patients receive recommended screenings, such as mammograms and colorectal cancer screenings, as well as crucial vaccinations for flu and pneumonia.
• Chronic Condition Management: Effectively helping patients manage long-term illnesses like diabetes and hypertension through consistent monitoring, medication adherence support, and evidence-based treatments.
• Member Experience: Earning high marks from patients on satisfaction surveys that measure ease of getting appointments, quality of doctor-patient communication, and overall satisfaction with care.
• Access and Customer Service: Ensuring patients can get care when they need it and that the administrative aspects of care are handled smoothly and efficiently.

"Receiving SCAN Health Plan's award highlights the strength of our approach—delivering the right care at the right time, at the right cost," said Michael Marshall, M.D., chief executive officer of MemorialCare Medical Foundation, the parent organization. "This recognition affirms our commitment to coordinated, evidence-based care that improves outcomes and supports quality of life for seniors."

A Decisive Factor for Southern California's Seniors

For the 460,000 seniors in Orange County and the 1.45 million in Los Angeles County, navigating healthcare choices can be daunting. The 5-star rating provides a clear, trustworthy indicator of superior quality, empowering patients and their families to make more informed decisions. In the Medicare Advantage landscape, higher Star Ratings are directly linked to better health outcomes and a more positive patient experience.

Furthermore, the rating has tangible benefits. Health plans that achieve high Star Ratings receive bonus payments from CMS. These funds are often reinvested back into member benefits, potentially leading to lower premiums, reduced cost-sharing for services, or expanded coverage for things like dental, vision, and hearing. By partnering with 5-star provider groups like MemorialCare, SCAN Health Plan strengthens its ability to offer these enhanced, high-value plans to the community.

The rating positions MemorialCare's medical groups as a premier choice within a crowded and competitive field that includes other major players like Kaiser Permanente, OptumCare, and Providence St. Joseph Health. In a market where quality is a key differentiator, this achievement solidifies its reputation as a leader in geriatric care.

A Partnership Driving Quality and Community Health

The 5-star rating is also a story of a successful partnership between a health plan and its provider network. SCAN Health Plan has built its reputation on collaborating with medical groups that share its mission to keep seniors healthy and independent. The success of a Medicare Advantage plan is intrinsically tied to the quality of care delivered by its physician partners.

"We're proud to honor our top performing provider partners for their dedication to high-quality care and their shared commitment to delivering an excellent healthcare experience," stated Annie Low, chief quality officer for SCAN Health Plan. "Together, we're able to support healthier, more independent lives for the seniors we serve."

This collaborative model is central to the modern, value-based healthcare system, which prioritizes health outcomes over the volume of services provided. By working in concert, SCAN and MemorialCare can more effectively implement programs that close gaps in care, promote preventive health, and manage the complex needs of an aging population. This integrated approach ensures that from the health plan level down to the individual physician's office, the focus remains squarely on the patient's well-being.

The Mechanics of Excellence: How Top Ratings Are Achieved

Achieving a 5-star rating requires a sophisticated and deeply integrated operational structure focused on proactive, coordinated care. It reflects excellence in the foundational elements of modern medicine. For MemorialCare, this translates into specific, high-impact programs and practices that directly influence patient outcomes.

Comprehensive care coordination is a cornerstone of this success. This involves the use of interdisciplinary teams—including physicians, nurses, social workers, and care managers—who work together to manage the holistic needs of patients, especially those with multiple chronic conditions. These teams focus on creating smooth transitions of care, for instance, when a patient is discharged from a hospital, to reduce the risk of complications and readmissions. Robust medication management programs also ensure patients understand their prescriptions and take them correctly, a critical factor in managing chronic disease.

Proactive preventive programs are another key component. Rather than waiting for patients to become ill, 5-star providers actively reach out to schedule annual wellness visits, essential cancer screenings, and necessary immunizations. They often leverage sophisticated data analytics to identify at-risk patients and provide targeted interventions, such as fall prevention education or mental health screenings. This shift from reactive to proactive care is fundamental to keeping seniors healthy and independent.

Finally, streamlined access to care is essential. MemorialCare's high rating indicates a commitment to providing timely appointments, offering convenient telehealth options for virtual visits, and utilizing user-friendly patient portals that allow for secure communication, appointment scheduling, and access to medical records. By removing barriers to care, the health system ensures that patients can get the help they need, when they need it, contributing significantly to a positive overall experience and better health management.