Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Member Satisfaction Study for the 6th year in a row

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During a time of unprecedented debate and contention regarding the state of health care, there's one voice that consistently rises above all others: The Consumers. The actual users of health plans in the Mid-Atlantic Region (Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C) have rated Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States highest in member satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Member Health Plan Study^SM .

J.D. Power, best known for rating industries such as automobiles, brought its brand of unbiased, robust research to health care eight years ago. Health Plans can't apply to receive an award nor pay for survey results. More than 34,000 members of commercial health plans were surveyed from November 2013 to January 2014. For Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to rank highest six years in a row in overall member satisfaction, with a raw score 56 points above the Mid-Atlantic region industry average in 2014, the integrated health care provider has demonstrated a consistent pattern of earning the top spot and demonstrating true differentiation in the marketplace. 

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States also received the region's highest scores in the following categories:

• coverage and benefits
• cost
• customer service
• information and communication

"Unlike most health plans whose business is primarily to pay for each service rendered by disconnected doctors and hospitals, we have coordinated the coverage and the care with a highly selective network of pre-paid experts all working together," said Kim Horn, president, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (@KimHornKPMAS). "For our members, it's simply a better experience and a model for a healthier and longer life."

To hear real members describe how Kaiser Permanente's model works for them, visit Kaiser Permanente's "Care Stories" website,

"In this time of extraordinary change in health care, I believe we must continue to listen carefully to the voices of our patients," said Bernadette Loftus, MD, Associate Executive Director, The Permanente Medical Group "That is why I am so honored to be part of this important consumer-driven recognition from J.D. Power. We're thrilled to know that people who choose
us to provide their health coverage and care are the most satisfied in the Mid-Atlantic Region."

Now in its eighth year, the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Member Health Plan Study^SM measures member satisfaction among 138 health plans in 18 regions throughout the United States.  For more comprehensive health plan rankings for all 18 U.S. regions, please visit www.jdpower.com.

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 more than 500,000 members through 29 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 more than 1,000 physicians. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States was ranked in the nation's 20 top commercial health plans and 10 top Medicare health plans — and the No. 1 Commercial and Medicare plan for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. — by "NCQA Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013-2014 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