Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Ranks Highest in J.D. Power and Associates Member Satisfaction Study in Region Five Years in a Row

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States announced today that its members have rated the organization's health plan highest in member satisfaction within its region in the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM). This year's designation marks five consecutive years that Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has been the highest rated plan in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C).

"We are honored that Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has again outperformed all others in its region in J.D. Power and Associates' member satisfaction study for health plans," said Kim Horn, president, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. "Our members benefit from our integrated approach to total health and our investments in technology and infrastructure from Northern Virginia to Baltimore."

Now in its seventh year, the study measures satisfaction among members of 136 health plans in 17 regions throughout the United States by examining seven key factors: coverage and benefits; provider choice; information and communication; claims processing; statements; customer service; and approval process. In 2013, the overall member satisfaction average in the region is 700 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared with 701 in 2012. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States outperformed the region average by more than 50 points, scoring 754.

"This recognition underscores our commitment to providing the highest level of care possible to our members," said Bernadette Loftus, MD, associate executive director, The Permanente Medical Group. "Our physicians are dedicated to providing the finest and most accessible care, whether via face-to-face visits, secure email, telephone, or video visits."

The 2013 Member Health Plan Study is based on responses from more than 33,000 members of 136 commercial health plans across 17 regions in the United States. The study was fielded in December 2012 and January 2013. For more comprehensive health plan rankings for all 17 U.S. regions, please visit www.jdpower.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing forecasting, 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 of the Mid-Atlantic States
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for almost 500,000 members through 30 medical centers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1980, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a total health organization comprised of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features approximately 1000 physicians who provide or arrange care for patients throughout the area. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is considered one of Maryland's "Top HMOs," according to the Maryland Health Care Commission. The health plan was ranked in the nation's top 15 commercial and Medicare health plans — and the #1 commercial and Medicare plan for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. — by "NCQA Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2012–2013 Private." For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, visit kp.org or follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/KPMidAtlantic.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States