The state of California's Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) released its 2013 quality report cards for health plans. This time, though, they released the information via a newly redesigned website and, for the first time, as an app for iPhone and iPad.

The report cards allow patients to compare 10 Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), six Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), and 209 medical groups on overall quality of care, and also on quality of care for 40 different specific conditions. OPA director Amy Krause told California Healthline that California is the first state to release a health plan report card in app form.

The app, which is free in the AppStore, allows users to view all the ratings of a single plan, or view how all the plans rate on a particular condition, such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. They can also see how other patients rate plans on non-care quality metrics like doctor communication, ease of setting up appointments, and customer service. In addition, the app provides contact information for health plans and general information for patients like how to make the most of a doctor visit.

The ratings come from data collected by the California Department of Insurance. Quality of care ratings are based on de-identified data from a random sample of patients using the health plan, drawn directly from the organization's records. Patient experience ratings are based on surveys conducted annually by the Department of Insurance, which reaches out to a sample of health plan members by phone or mail. A third metric tracks the ratio of health plan enrollees to customer complaints.