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

OAKLAND, Calif., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that its members in four geographic regions – which serve 8 million of Kaiser Permanente 9 million members – again ranked the organization's health plans highest in satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study^SM.

It is the sixth successive year that Kaiser Permanente members in California and Colorado ranked the organization's health plan highest. This is the fifth year Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and it is the fourth consecutive year Kaiser Permanente has ranked highest in the South Atlantic Region.

"We are extremely pleased and proud that year after year our members rate us the highest in satisfaction relative to all other health plans across the country," said Arthur M. Southam, MD, executive vice president, Health Plan Operations, Kaiser Permanente. "Our unique integrated care delivery model, supported by groundbreaking health information technology, enables us to provide personalized, coordinated care and service, whether in-person, via phone or online. This recognition reflects our commitment to put our patients and members at the center of all we do."

Now in its seventh year, the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study measures member satisfaction among 136 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.

"We are honored to have the best employees, physicians, nurses and other care team members who are committed to providing our members with high-quality and affordable care and service," said Bernard J. Tyson, incoming chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente. "Millions of Americans put their trust and confidence into Kaiser Permanente, and this important recognition validates we are getting it right."

The study reflects the results of a survey completed by more than 33,000 members of commercial health plans, conducted from December 2012 to January 2013. Each health plan included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Member Health Plan Study was measured on a scale of 1,000 points. Details of the results in each of the regions where Kaiser Permanente ranked highest are outlined below:

• California Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 760 points, 54 points above the average score for the region and 52 points more than the next highest ranked health plan in the region.
• Colorado Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 718 points, 26 points higher than last year and 43 points above the regional average score.
• Mid-Atlantic Region:  Kaiser Permanente recorded 754 points, 54 above the average for this region.
• South Atlantic Region: Kaiser Permanente earned 757 points this year, 60 points above the regional average. (This region includes Kaiser Permanente's Georgia Region.)

J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study^SM did not include Kaiser Permanente's Hawaii or Ohio regions in its research.

This membership study by J.D. Power and Associates is the most recent in a string of accolades given to Kaiser Permanente hospitals and health plans. In the past year:

• Seventeen Kaiser Permanente hospitals were named 2012 "Top Hospitals" by The Leapfrog Group, an honor that recognizes medical centers for their outstanding success in areas such as reducing infection rates, safety practices, mortality rates for common procedures and measures of efficiency.
• Kaiser Permanente Medicare and Commercial health plans received No. 1 rankings for 2012 in 29 effectiveness-of-care measures (16 for commercial plans, 13 for Medicare plans), far more than any other health plan in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Quality Compass® dataset.
• Kaiser Permanente's Medicare health plans received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the highest ranking possible, in seven of its eight geographical regions.
• Kaiser Permanente was rated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as having the three highest-ranked Medicare health plans in the nation.

For more information, visit kp.org/thrive.

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 currently serve more than 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: kp.org/newscenter.

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

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente