The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released its 2026 health plan ratings, and the number of plans earning a perfect 5-star score jumped from 11 to 18. All 18 top-rated plans are nonprofit organizations, according to the report.
For-profit plans did not reach the highest tier, and as a group they underperformed their nonprofit counterparts in the ratings. The findings highlight a persistent gap in quality measures between the two ownership models.
The increase in 5-star plans suggests overall improvement among the highest scorers, but the absence of for-profits at the top underscores the divide. NCQA's ratings are based on standardized performance measures used by employers and consumers to compare plans.