UnitedHealthcare Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Vision Plan Carriers

While Vision Plan Coverage and Cost Are the Primary Drivers of Overall Customer Satisfaction, Communications Also Has Substantial Impact

News provided by

J.D. Power

Nov 17, 2015, 09:00 ET

J.D. Power corporate logo.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in customer satisfaction with vision plan carriers, performing particularly well in the coverage, cost and communication factors, according to the J.D. Power 2015 Vision Plan Satisfaction Report^SM released today.

The report, now in its second year, measures customer satisfaction with vision plan carriers based on five factors (in order of importance): coverage, cost, communications, customer service and reimbursement. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.

"Coverage and cost remain critical to satisfaction; however, the impact communication has on members should not be overlooked," said Rick Johnson, director of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power. "Clear, frequent communications about the plan's benefits helps members better understand how to use them and can also improve their perception of the plan's value."

KEY FINDINGS

High Satisfaction Fosters Member Loyalty: Among vision plan members who rate overall satisfaction outstanding (10 on a 10-point scale), 88% say they "definitely will" choose their current carrier in the future, compared with the report average of 40%.
Satisfaction with Communications Impacts Overall Satisfaction: When satisfaction with communications among vision plan members is 800 or above, overall satisfaction is 873, compared to 603 when communications satisfaction is 799 or below.
High Satisfaction Leads to Advocacy: When overall satisfaction among vision plan members is 800 or above, the average number of positive recommendations is 2.2, which is higher than the report average of 1.2.
Satisfaction Decreases Slightly: Overall satisfaction among vision plan members has decreased by 2 points to 707 from 709 in 2014.

Vision Plan Rankings:
UnitedHealthcare (729) ranks highest, followed by EyeMed (712).

The 2015 Vision Plan Satisfaction Report is based on responses from 1,998 vision plan members.
The study was fielded from September through October 2015.

Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Scores		J.D. Power.com Power Circle Ratings^TM
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)		For Consumers

Vision Plan Carriers
UnitedHealthcare	729	5
EyeMed	712	4
VSP	707	3
Report Average	707	3
Davis Vision	698	2

Power Circle Ratings Legend
5 – Among the best
4 – Better than most
3 – About average
2 – The rest

Award-Eligible Vision Plans Included in the Report

Company Name	Executive Name	Company Address
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated	Stephen Hemsley	Minnetonka, Minn.
EyeMed Vision Care, LLC	Lukas Ruekner	Mason, Ohio
Vision Service Plan Inc.	Jim McGrann	Rancho Cordova, Calif.
Davis Vision Incorporated	Walter Froh	San Antonio, Texas