Kaiser Permanente Ranks Highest in J.D. Power and Associates Member Satisfaction Study

OAKLAND, Calif., March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that its members in five geographic regions rated the organization's health plans highest in member satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM). The regions in which Kaiser Permanente ranked highest in the J.D. Power study are California, Colorado, South Atlantic, Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. and Northwest. These five regions serve 8.5 million of nearly 9 million Kaiser Permanente members.

"We are honored that Kaiser Permanente has again received outstanding ratings in J.D. Power's member satisfaction study for health plans," said Arthur M. Southam, MD, executive vice president, Health Plan Operations, for Kaiser Permanente.  "The results of this study further reflect our deep commitment to member care, service and satisfaction."

Now in its sixth year, J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM) measures member satisfaction among 141 health plans in 17 regions throughout the United States by examining the experience of a health plan member in key areas such as:  coverage and benefits, provider choice, information and communication, claims processing, statements, customer service, and approval process.

"These honors highlight our dedication to making lives better," said Bernard J. Tyson, Kaiser Permanente president and chief operating officer. "We are very proud of our outstanding physicians, nurses and teams who are devoted to serving our patients and members."

The study reflects the results of a survey completed by more than 32,000 members of commercial health plans, and was conducted from November 2011 through January 2012. Each health plan included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Member Health 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 are outlined below:

• California Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 769 points (18 more than last year), 64 points above the average score for the region. This is the fifth year in a row Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the California region.
• Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. Region: Kaiser Permanente recorded 768 points (17 more than last year), 67 above the average for this region. This is the fourth year Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. region. (These states are represented in Kaiser Permanente's Mid-Atlantic States Region.)
• Colorado Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 692 points, 10 points above the regional average score. This is the fifth consecutive year that Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the Colorado region.
• Northwest Region: Kaiser Permanente, with 742 points, ranked highest in the region and moved up from second rank last year. Kaiser Permanente's score is 43 points above the regional average.
• South Atlantic Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 770 points this year, an improvement of 23 points over last year's total and 66 points above the regional average. This is the third consecutive year Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the South Atlantic region.

Kaiser Permanente has notable gains for information and communication in each of the five regions in which it was ranked. These ratings directly reflect Kaiser Permanente's integrated approach to health care delivery, which  makes it easy for members to connect with their caregivers and support services, whether in-person, online or by phone. With innovative Web-based tools through www.kp.org and the recently launched app for mobile devices, members have access to the information in their secure medical record, as well as tools to communicate with their caregivers. My Health Manager on kp.org gives members the ability to perform important tasks such as scheduling appointments, checking lab results and their children's immunization records, and ordering prescription refills.  In addition, Kaiser Permanente physicians routinely use electronic health records when caring for their patients in medical offices and hospitals.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, 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 serve approximately 8.9 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.

Contact: Mark Camps, Kaiser Permanente, 510-625-5624

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente