J.D. Power: Premera Blue Cross Ranked Highest in Member Satisfaction

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. - In its inaugural study of health plan consumers, J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Premera Blue Cross highest in member satisfaction in the U.S. Western census region.

The 2007 National Health Insurance Plan Satisfaction Study is designed to measure the member’s experience with their health insurance plan by evaluating core factors, key attributes, and other issues that are important to members’ overall experience with their plans.

The factors examined in 2007 were: coverage and benefits, choice of doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, information and communication, approval process, insurance statements, customer service, and claims processing.

“Premera is honored to be recognized as the leader in member satisfaction in the western United States,” said Heyward Donigan, executive vice president and chief marketing executive at Premera Blue Cross. “The strength of our product line, our unmatched provider networks and relationships with those providers, and our intense focus on customer service continue to set us apart from other health plans while delivering to our members that which they value most -- peace of mind about their health care.”

The 2007 National Health Insurance Plan Satisfaction Study includes responses from 10,552 members of large commercial health plans. Members were surveyed online in October and November 2006. The study examines the member satisfaction performance of 49 large health plan companies in the four U.S. Census regions, with enrollments representing 80 percent of U.S. commercial health plan members. The study focuses on performance areas in which health plans can influence or control to improve the experiences of their members. Criteria for inclusion were plans with approximately 750,000 members across all commercial products, excluding Medicare and Medicaid. Included in the West Region are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.