Kaiser Permanente leads California health plans in member satisfaction

Kaiser Permanente members in California have rated the organization’s health plan highest in member satisfaction for a sixth consecutive year, according to a new study released by J.D. Power and Associates.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 U.S. Member Health Plan Study is based on the responses of 32,726 members in 136 commercial health plans throughout the United States. California is one of 17 market regions measured in the study. The ranking considers seven factors: coverage and benefits, information and communication, provider choice, claims processing, statements, customer service and approval process.

“It is rewarding to see that for the sixth straight year, Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power study of health plans in California. Our continued focus on quality and prevention is keeping people healthier,” said Wade J. Overgaard, Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president for California health plan operations.

“By always putting our members at the center of what we do, we are transforming health care, and this approach is the key to achieving high quality while keeping costs more affordable for those members and for our business customers.”

Kaiser Permanente out-performed seven other health plans in California, scoring 760 on a 1,000-point scale, 60 points higher than the average health plan score in the state. The organization performed particularly well in two key areas: coverage and benefits, and information and communications.

Serving more than 6.8 million members in California, Kaiser Permanente offers a coordinated approach to delivering care, supported by an industry-leading electronic medical record. With easy-to-use, Web-based tools, members have the ability to email their doctor, schedule appointments, check test results and order prescription refills online — all at no additional cost.