Kaiser Permanente Receives High Marks in 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Study

Kaiser Permanente leads health plans in member satisfaction in four geographic regions

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Mar 23, 2011, 07:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that its members in four geographic regions rated the organization's health plans highest in member satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM). The regions are California, Colorado, South Atlantic (Georgia), and Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. (Mid-Atlantic). In a fifth region, Kaiser Permanente in the Northwest, ranked second. These five regions serve more than 8.3 million of Kaiser Permanente's more than 8.7 million members.

"We are very pleased to once again receive high marks in J.D. Power's member satisfaction study for health plans. The results are particularly meaningful to us, since they are a measure of member satisfaction relative to all other health plans," said Arthur M. Southam, MD, executive vice president, Health Plan Operations for Kaiser Permanente.

"Our integrated model puts our patients and members at the center of all that we do, which enables us to better coordinate and deliver high-quality health care, and be more engaged in supporting all aspects of our members' total health," Dr. Southam said.

Kaiser Permanente's integrated approach to health care delivery provides access to services in-person, online and by phone. With easy-to-use, Web-based tools, all members have access to their personal health information in their secure medical record, as well as tools to communicate with their providers. My Health Manager on kp.org gives members the ability to perform important tasks online such as scheduling appointments and ordering prescription refills. Users also have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records. In addition, all Kaiser Permanente physicians routinely use an electronic health record when caring for their patients in medical offices and hospitals.

Now in its fifth year, the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM) measures member satisfaction among 137 health plans in 17 regions throughout the United States by examining seven key factors that each represent a distinct part of the member experience and together encompass the relationship between the health plan and its member: coverage and benefits; provider choice; information and communication; claims processing; statements; customer service; and approval processes. The study reports on the results of nearly 34,000 members of commercial health plans, and was conducted online in December 2010 and January 2011.

Each health plan included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM) was measured on a scale of 1,000 points. Details of the results in each of the regions where Kaiser Permanente ranked highly are outlined below:

California Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 751 points, 57 above the average score for this region. This is the fourth year that Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the California region.
Colorado Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 703 points, 21 points above the average score for this region. This is the fourth year that Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the Colorado region.
South Atlantic (Georgia) Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 747 points, 47 points above the average for this region. This is the second year that Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the South Atlantic region.
Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. (Mid-Atlantic) Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 751 points, 54 points above the average for this region. This is the third year that Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. region.
Northwest Region: Kaiser Permanente ranks second and earned 737 points, 33 points above the average in the Northwest region.
J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM) did not include Kaiser Permanente's Hawaii or Ohio regions in its research.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on cell phone ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of the McGraw-Hill Companies.

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, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.7 million members in nine 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: www.kp.org/newscenter.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente