Achievement Follows Healthfirst’s #1 Quality Rating Among New York State Medicaid and Essential Plans

Healthfirst, a leading not-for-profit health plan serving more than two million New Yorkers, announced today that it has received a 4.5-Star rating (out of 5 stars) for its largest Medicare Advantage (MA) contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the 2026 Star Program Year. This marks the second consecutive year Healthfirst has earned a 4.5-Star rating, underscoring Healthfirst’s strong track record of delivering access to high quality care and enabling positive health outcomes for the communities it serves in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

“Every person who works at Healthfirst understands our mission to ensure that our members have access to the high quality care they need and deserve,” said Pat Wang, President and CEO of Healthfirst. “Our consistent top quality ratings across all products are a direct result of our enterprise values and strong partnerships with like-minded healthcare providers who share our commitment to improving health outcomes for millions of New Yorkers.”

“Quality is our beating heart at Healthfirst, and our second consecutive 4.5-Star rating reflects our commitment to providing access to excellent care for our members and putting their needs first and foremost in every decision we make,” said Jay Schechtman, MD, Chief Clinical Officer.

The Healthfirst Medicare Advantage contract awarded a 4.5-Star rating includes more than 275,000 New Yorkers enrolled in the following plans:

• Healthfirst CompleteCare
• Healthfirst Connection Plan
• Healthfirst Life Improvement Plan
• Healthfirst Increased Benefits Plan
• Healthfirst 65 Plus Plan

Additional information about the CMS Star Ratings can be found at CMS.gov.

Healthfirst has consistently been recognized as a top quality insurer in New York State. This year, Healthfirst was named the top performing Medicaid Managed Care plan in the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Medicaid Quality Incentive Program results for 2023, which were released in August 2025. Healthfirst also earned the highest score for the past two years in the annual ranking of Essential Plans by NYSDOH.

The Medicare Advantage Annual Election Period (AEP) begins October 15, 2025, and continues through December 7, 2025. During this enrollment period, individuals eligible for Medicare can choose Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans for the upcoming year with coverage taking effect January 1, 2026. More information about plan options can be found at https://healthfirst.org/wherehealthystarts.

About Healthfirst

Founded more than 30 years ago by leading hospital systems in downstate New York, Healthfirst’s partnership model drives meaningful alignment and collaboration across the hospitals, health systems, and community providers in its network, advancing care quality and improving health outcomes for its members. Today, Healthfirst serves more than 2 million members in New York City, on Long Island, and in Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, and Orange counties. Healthfirst offers market-leading products to suit every life stage, including Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, Long-Term Care, and Qualified Health plans. For more information on Healthfirst, please visit healthfirst.org.

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Our consistent top quality ratings across all products are a direct result of our enterprise values and strong partnerships with like-minded healthcare providers who share our commitment to improving health outcomes for millions of New Yorkers.