WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – The introduction of health insurance exchanges is generating interest among health plan members who purchase insurance directly, as well as those who have high deductibles and/or lower levels of overall satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan StudySM released today. (Logo: ) 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, overall member satisfaction averages 701 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared with 702 in 2012. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of members who purchase insurance on their own instead of through their employer say they definitely will or probably will shop for coverage using a state exchange, if available. The new insurance purchasing method intends to make it easier for members to access insurance and, ideally, at more competitive rates. The desire to reduce costs may also attract all types of members to the concept of exchange purchasing. A higher percentage of members in high-deductible health plans indicate they are interested in using exchanges, compared with those in low-deductible plans (59% vs. 45%, respectively). Service quality may also play a role in shaping demand, as members with the highest levels of interest in using exchanges are those who have contacted their health plan regarding a problem during the past year (60%), compared with those who have not had a problem with their health plan (45%). As healthcare costs continue to increase and members pay a higher percentage of the premium, health plan members are increasingly aware of exactly what they are getting for their premium, said Rick Millard, senior director of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power and Associates. If a member has experienced problems and perceives the possibility of having more control over costs through exchanges, this new purchasing method may become more appealing. Overall, 48 percent of health plan members (combining both group and individual markets) indicate they are interested in using a state exchange, if it were available to them. Among members with group coverage, interest in state exchanges is more prevalent when their employer has not offered a choice of health plans. Members who have a choice of health insurance brands are less interested in exchanges (36%) than do those who have no choice (50%). Income-eligible members with high out-of-pocket costs and less tenure with a health plan are most likely to try exchanges, said Millard. The exchange also appeals to those working at small companies who want to take more direct control over their healthcare expenses. Satisfaction is highest among health plan members in the Michigan, Texas and East South Central regions, and is lowest among those in the Mountain and Colorado regions. Health plans ranking highest in their respective regions (in alphabetical order) are Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire; AvMed Health Plans; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; Geisinger Health Plan; Health Alliance Plan (HAP) of Michigan; HealthPartners; Independent Health Association; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (which ranks highest in the California, Colorado, South-Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions); PacificSource Health Plans; SelectHealth; and UnitedHealthcare. J.D. Power offers the following tips to health plan members and consumers who are shopping for health insurance coverage: 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 Regions Included in the Member Health Plan StudyCaliforniaColoradoEast South Central (Includes Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee) FloridaHeartland (Includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma) Illinois-IndianaMichiganMid-Atlantic (Includes Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.) Minnesota-WisconsinMountain (Includes Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah) New England (Includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) New York-New JerseyNorthwest (Includes Idaho, Oregon and Washington) OhioPennsylvaniaSouth-Atlantic (Includes Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) Texas Top Three Plans in Overall Member Satisfaction by Region California*Highest: Kaiser Foundation Health PlanBlue Shield of California ColoradoHighest: Kaiser Foundation Health PlanAetna UnitedHealthcare East South CentralHighest: Blue Cross Blue Shield of AlabamaBlue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee FloridaHighest: AvMed Health PlansAetna Cigna Humana Florida Blue HeartlandHighest: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas CityBlue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa Illinois-Indiana*Highest: Blue Cross Blue Shield of IllinoisHealth Alliance Medical Plans MichiganHighest: Health Alliance Plan of MichiganBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Priority Health Mid-Atlantic*Highest: Kaiser Foundation Health PlanCareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota-WisconsinHighest: HealthPartnersDean Health Plan Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota MountainHighest: SelectHealthBlue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah New EnglandHighest: Anthem Health Plans of New HampshireTufts Associated Health Plans Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island New York-New JerseyHighest: Independent Health AssociationCDPHP Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield NorthwestHighest: PacificSource Health PlansGroup Health Cooperative Blue Cross of Idaho Premera Blue Cross OhioHighest: UnitedHealthareMedical Mutual of Ohio Humana PennsylvaniaHighest: Geisinger Health PlanUPMC Health Plan Highmark Blue Shield South-AtlanticHighest: Kaiser Foundation Health PlanCigna UnitedHealthcare Texas*Highest: Blue Cross Blue Shield of TexasAetna * No other plan in this region performs above the region average. About J.D. Power and AssociatesHeadquartered 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 The McGraw-Hill Companies The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012. Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company’s leading brands will include: Standard P Capital IQ, S Brandware Public Relations; Woodland Hills, Calif.; (818) 598-1115; jperlman@brandware.com John Tews; J.D. Power and Associates; Troy, Mich.; (248) 680-6218; media.relations@jdpa.com No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates.
View full post on health insurance lead
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: As Health Plans in Variou