Contra Costa Health Plan Delivers High-Quality, Publicly Accountable, Community-Driven Care
September 30, 2025 · NCQA Communications
What does high-quality health care look like—and what does it take to get there? We gathered insights and success stories from the top-performing plans in NCQA’s 2025 Health Plan Ratings. High ratings demonstrate a commitment to quality, patient-centered care and continuous improvement. We hope these stories foster shared learning, inspire action and help elevate performance across the industry.
Organization: Contra Costa Health Plan
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Product Line: Medicaid
State: CA
NCQA Health Plan Accreditation Status: Accredited
Contra Costa Health Plan’s Quality Story
Contra Costa Health Plan (CCHP) is the first county-owned and operated health plan in the U.S. It has provided care for over 50 years. It is accountable to the residents of Contra Costa County, and every dollar is reinvested back into services, partnerships and innovations that directly benefit county residents.
What does earning a 4.5-star rating from NCQA’s Health Plan Ratings mean to your organization?
CCHP is extremely proud to earn a 4.5-star rating from NCQA. Being recognized among the top health plans affirms that a locally governed, community-based model can deliver excellent outcomes and experience, particularly for the Medicaid population.
What strategic priorities guided your journey toward achieving a 4.5-star rating?
CCHP’s strategy is centered around three priorities:
- Supporting providers by aligning quality initiatives with what is happening in the provider’s office—where quality truly occurs.
- Investing in data integration to ensure we could identify true care gaps and move toward ECDS reporting.
- Addressing community health priorities, particularly maternal health, behavioral health and preventive care.
These priorities allow us to focus on measures that matter most to our members, such as perinatal care, immunizations and patient experience.
What unique processes or tools have you implemented to improve patient experience or clinical outcomes?
A key strength of CCHP’s model is our integrated delivery system and integrated data infrastructure. As part of a county health system, we share an Epic platform with our public hospital, and participate in Epic’s Care Everywhere HIE and EpicCare Link, which allows us to exchange data seamlessly across our provider network. This ensures that providers have timely access to complete patient information and that CCHP can identify true care gaps, rather than administrative gaps.
For member experience, we extend beyond the clinic walls. As part of the County Health Department, we are deeply embedded in the community, and partner closely with local organizations to address health needs where they arise. We actively participate in outreach events throughout Contra Costa County—from schools and libraries to health fairs, farmers markets and services for people experiencing homelessness. These touchpoints allow us to meet members where they are, connect them to services and strengthen trust between the CCHP and the community.
We have also been proactive in implementing California’s CalAIM program, expanding services that address social drivers of health. Through enhanced care management and community supports, we connect members to housing navigation, medically tailored meals and other non-traditional services that impact health outcomes. This work ensures that our members’ needs are addressed holistically, improving both clinical quality and patient experience.
What lessons did you learn that could help other health plans improve performance?
- Partnership is more powerful than oversight. By positioning ourselves as a supportive ally to providers, rather than just a payer, we have fostered stronger relationships and better outcomes.
- Alignment is key. Success comes from aligning quality measures—understanding which metrics are most meaningful to providers and which are critical for CCHP—and then building strategies that address both.
- Data transparency is essential. Sharing clear, accurate performance data at both the plan and practice level builds trust, highlights true care gaps and drives improvement.
How does your organization cultivate a culture of quality?
As a county-owned and operated health plan, quality is embedded in our mission. Our staff live and work in the communities we serve, and being part of the County Health Department ensures that improvement efforts are closely aligned with broader public health priorities. We foster a culture of quality through cross-departmental collaboration, leadership accountability and active engagement with providers. By sharing performance results transparently, recognizing successes and supporting practices with actionable data, we make quality a shared responsibility.
What are your next steps to continue improving HEDIS® and CAHPS® scores?
We are focused on advancing behavioral health integration, particularly in California, where many services are carved out. We work closely with our County Behavioral Health Department on performance improvement projects and on aligning services. We’re also continuing our efforts to address social drivers of health and support holistic member care under the CalAIM program.
Learn More
Explore the 2025 Health Plan Ratings and find out how we calculate the ratings.
Learn more about NCQA’s Health Plan Accreditation.
