Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Members Rate Their Plan Highest, According to J.D. Power Study

News provided by

Aug 11, 2016, 09:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage members are, once again, more satisfied than members of any other Medicare Advantage health plan in the nation, according to J.D. Power.

The second annual Medicare Advantage Study, released this week, examines the experiences of nearly 3,500 members of the nation's 10 largest Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare Advantage plan members were asked their level of satisfaction in these key areas: coverage and benefits, provider choice, customer service, information and communication, cost and claims processing.

Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest integrated health care system, scored 851 out of a possible 1,000 points. Kaiser Permanente's Medicare Advantage members have rated their plan 61 points above the market average and 60 points above the next highest rated plan. The study reflects results of a survey conducted from March to June 2016.

"We're tremendously proud to be rated highest in the nation in overall satisfaction by our Medicare members in this J.D. Power study," said Arthur M. Southam, MD, executive vice president, Health Plan Operations, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. "Our performance demonstrates that our 1.3 million Medicare members trust us with their care and coverage and that we have the ability to continually provide high-quality care as well as personalized, seamless service."

The results of the 2016 J.D. Power Medicare Advantage Study^SM go hand in hand with the 2015 Medicare Star Quality ratings where six of Kaiser Permanente's seven regions achieved 5 out of 5 stars – the highest rating – from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The 2016 J.D. Power Medicare Advantage Study also comes just months after Kaiser Permanente commercial plan members in five geographical areas rated their health plan highest, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Member Health Plan Study^SM.

"Our exceptional results in this important study reflect the commitment of our physicians, nurses, care teams and employees to keep the needs of our member front and center in all that we do here at Kaiser Permanente," said Patrick Courneya, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals.

This Medicare Advantage satisfaction study by J.D. Power, a global marketing information organization, is the most recent in a string of accolades earned by Kaiser Permanente hospitals and health plans. In the past year:

Kaiser Permanente's health system, including its 38 hospitals, was recently honored with the "Living the Vision" award for excellence for its extraordinary commitment to quality of care by the Leapfrog Group.
Kaiser Permanente was rated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as having the highest rated commercial and Medicare health plans in all the markets it serves for 2015-16.
Twenty-eight Kaiser Permanente medical centers were rated "high performing" for one or more specialties, procedures, or conditions in U.S. News' "Best Hospitals" 2016-17 report.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.

For more information, contact:
Margot Hardy: [email protected] 510-271-6688

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130718/SF49717LOGO

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente