Awards and Recognition

At UPMC for Life, we pride ourselves on quality and are pleased to have been recognized with honors like these:

U.S. News & World Report

UPMC for Life was named a “Best Insurance Company for Medicare Advantage” in Pennsylvania for 2025 by U.S. News & World Report (10-16-24).

To determine the top-rated insurance companies, U.S. News & World Report consulted with Medicare experts to identify and weigh the most important quality measures for Medicare Advantage consumers. They applied these weights to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and then adjusted for enrollment. The best Medicare Advantage plans are chosen for providing good value, offering high-quality care, and offering an appealing set of benefits while keeping out-of-pocket costs low.

UPMC for Life has been named a “Best Insurance Company for Medicare Advantage” in Pennsylvania for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

4.5 out of 5 stars from Medicare for 2025

UPMC for Life has earned 4.5 out of a 5 overall star rating for its HMO and PPO plans from Medicare for 2024. The Medicare star ratings are based on how well plans deliver medical coverage, prescription drug services, and customer service. The score also includes how current members rate their satisfaction with their plan.

Every year Medicare evaluates plans on a 5-star rating system. For more detailed information about how Medicare calculates its star ratings you can see their fact sheet. You can use the Medicare star ratings to compare our quality and performance to other Medicare plans.

NCQA Accreditation

UPMC for Life is also Accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). You can view a list of rankings by state by visiting the NCQA website.

NCQA Health Plan Accreditation is based on clinical performance and customer experience measures. Plans are evaluated using measures such as quality management and improvement, network management, members’ rights and responsibilities, member connection, and more.

Award-winning customer service

Stevie Awards

UPMC Health Plan earned seven 2025 Stevie® Awards, including the Customer Service Award of the Year (Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Related Industries category). UPMC Health Plan also earned three Gold Stevie Awards:   

• Customer Service Employer of the Year                                            
• Customer Service Department of the Year                                     
• Enrollment & COB for Best Back Office Customer Service Team of the Year

The Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals across organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry. Winners were selected by a panel of judges that were recruited worldwide. Each entry is reviewed by at least five volunteer approved judges, and the average score is used for ranking.

Top-ranked care

Doctors you know and trust

Many UPMC physicians have been recognized as 2025 "Top Doctors" across more than 60 different specialties. UPMC doctors represent more than half of the physicians listed in Pittsburgh. These physicians are part of the Top Doctors® list, which is compiled by Castle Connolly. The Castle Connolly Top Doctor selection process is entirely merit-based. Doctors cannot pay to be listed. Castle Connolly’s peer-to-peer nominations and rigorous research process ensure only the most qualified physicians are included.

High-quality hospitals

In addition to being No. 1 in Pittsburgh, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside is nationally ranked in the following specialties:

• Cancer
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
• Geriatrics
• Otolaryngology
• Pulmonology and Lung Surgery
• Urology

UPMC Mercy earned the No. 13 spot in rehabilitation.

Numerous other UPMC hospitals earned regional recognition and were designated as high performing in specialty care.

• UPMC Harrisburg is No. 8 in Pennsylvania, No. 2 in the Harrisburg metro area and is also high performing in orthopedics and urology. 
• UPMC Passavant is recognized as high performing in six adult procedures and conditions including leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma, colon cancer surgery, and lung cancer surgery. 

U.S. News & World Report analyzed more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide based on a variety of factors, including hospital volume, patient safety, and outcomes, and surveyed responses from tens of thousands of physicians on hospitals’ reputations for delivering high-quality care.

These rankings reflect the exceptional care delivered every day by our extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff who truly define world-class care.