Nine Things to Know About J.D. Powers 2017 Member Health Plan Study Results
By Clive Riddle, June 2, 2017
J.D. Powers has just released their 2017 Member Health Plan Study Results. J.D. Powers tells us this 11th annual study “measures satisfaction among members of 168 health plans in 22 regions throughout the United States by examining six key factors: coverage and benefits; provider network; communication; claims processing; premiums; and customer service. The study also touches on several other key aspects of the experience including plan enrollment and member engagement.” The study is based on responses from 33,624 commercial health plan members and was fielded in January-March 2017.
The study assigns scores to each plan based on the above criteria based upon a possible 1,000 point scale. Here are nine things to know about their findings:
1. J.D. Powers found that “Integrated delivery systems dominate rankings: Health plans that utilize an integrated delivery system (IDS)—a network of healthcare and health insurance organizations presented to members as a single delivery organization—outperform traditional health plans on every factor measured in the study.”
2. Even though narrow networks have often been presented negatively in the media, the study found otherwise: “Regardless of product choice, members who were presented with lower-cost narrow network options were significantly more satisfied with their health plan versus those who were not offered such an option or did not know whether it was offered. However, just 33% of respondents say they were offered a narrow network option.”
3. J.D. Powers found that “the effect of payer-provider alliances is mixed: Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, and many other providers have begun to offer commercial products in collaboration with specific providers in the past few years.”
4. Satisfaction is highest among health plan members in the five regions: Maryland (723); East South Central (722); California (716); Michigan (716); and Ohio (714).
5. Satisfaction is lowest among members in the Colorado (676) and Northeast (682) regions.
6. The highest score achieved by any major plan was 794 (Kaiser in Maryland.)
7. Kaiser by far had the most regional top scores for major health plans with six: (California, Colorado, Maryland, Northwest, South Atlantic, Virginia)
8. The lowest score achieved by any major plan was a tie between Coventry (Aetna) in the Heartland region, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Montana in the Mountain region, both with 653. Given the regional average in the Mountain region (706) was higher than in the Heartland (693), the tiebreaker for Bottom performer would go to BCBS Montana.
9. UnitedHealthcare and subsidiaries by far had the most bottom regional bottom scores for major health plans with thirteen: (Colorado, Delaware/WV/DC, East South Central, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Northwest, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Southwest, Virginia)
Here are the top and bottom performers of major health plans for each of J.D. Powers 22 defined regions with their respective scores, along with the average score for the region:
California
Top: Kaiser 780
Average: 716
Bottom: Aetna 683
Colorado
Top: Kaiser 725
Average: 676
Bottom: United 661
Delaware/WV/DC
Top: Highmark 712
Average: 691
Bottom: United 666
East South Central (AL, KY, LA, MS, TN)
Top: BCBS Tennessee 735
Average: 722
Bottom: United 684
Florida
Top: AvMed 733
Average: 702
Bottom: United 694
Heartland (AR, IA, KS, MO, NE, OK)
Top: Wellmark BCBS Iowa 723
Average: 693
Bottom: Coventry (Aetna) 653
Illinois-Indiana
Top: Health Alliance Medical Plans 723
Average: 708
Bottom: Coventry (Aetna) 666
Maryland
Top: Kaiser 794
Average: 723
Bottom: United 693
Massachusetts
Top: BCBSMass 707
Average: 703
Bottom: Cigna 664
Michigan
Top: Health Alliance Plan of Michigan 750
Average: 716
Bottom: United 672
Minnesota-Wisconsin
Top: Unity Health Plans 737
Average: 695
Bottom: Cigna 679
Mountain (ID, MT, UT, WY)
Top: SelectHealth 727
Average: 706
Bottom: BCBS Montana 653
New Jersey
Top: Horizon BCBS 712
Average: 705
Bottom: United 693
New York
Top: Capital District Physicians Health Plan 755
Average: 702
Bottom: Oxford (United) 658
Northeast (CT, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Top: BCBS Vermont 725
Average: 682
Bottom: Harvard Pilgrim 666
Northwest (OR, WA)
Top: Kaiser 751
Average: 697
Bottom: United 644
Ohio
Top: Medical Mutual of Ohio 720
Average: 714
Bottom: United 695
Pennsylvania
Top: UPMC 739
Average: 702
Bottom: United 672
South Atlantic (GA, NC, SC)
Top: Kaiser 791
Average: 707
Bottom: Aetna 696
Southwest (AZ, NV, NM)
Top: BCBS AZ 704
Average: 693
Bottom: Health Plan of NV (United) 661
Texas
Top: NA
Average: 710
Bottom: Aetna 686
Virginia
Top: Kaiser 769
Average: 702
Bottom: United 699
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