Payers Detail Strategies That Drive Consumer Satisfaction

A study of health plan members reflects the impact of healthcare reform efforts and contains at least one surprising result, says the director of J.D. Power's healthcare practice.

J.D. Power and Associates' annual consumer survey of health plan members released this week provides insight about changes in the broad health insurance marketplace and gives a glimpse of how consumers are faring as their role in several markets grows.

The 2014 J.D. Power consumer study is based on data collected in December and January. It reflects the impact of healthcare reform efforts under way nationwide, with at least one surprising result, said Rick Millard, director of J.D. Power's healthcare practice.

"The popular sentiment is that more people are going to change their health plans," he said, noting the latest consumer study found the opposite, with 63 percent of consumer respondents reporting they changed health plans in the 2013 study but only 51 percent changing health plans in the 2014 study.

While more analysis is needed to determine the reasons behind the unexpected stability in health plan memberships, Millard said the apocalyptic predictions about the impact of the PPACA appear to have been overstated, at least for 2014.

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"Oftentimes, we want to take the facts and fit a frame," he said. "Some people said the reforms would be catastrophic and people are going to be pushed out of their plans. We didn't see that."

On a more predictable healthcare reform note, the J.D. Power study found a discernible impact from the growing number of narrow provider networks such as those health plans are creating in the new public exchanges.

One key network indicator measured in the consumer study is whether a health plan member was able to keep a preferred physician. In J.D. Power's 2013 consumer study, 91 percent of respondents reported retaining their preferred physician.

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In the 2014 study, 74 percent of respondents said they were able to keep their preferred physicians. Millard said more data will be required to quantify the exact impact narrow networks are having on consumers, but there is no denying they are having an effect. "Given the push for narrow networks… there's no doubt that was an important factor," he said.

"It's a shift that's important to look at," Millard added. "Being able to have access to the hospitals and doctors you want is definitely a driver of satisfaction."

Leading the Pack
Kaiser Permanente is one of the top performers in the 2014 consumer survey, earning the top customer satisfaction ranking in a half dozen geographic regions across the country. Millard said the Oakland, California-based healthcare consortium has historically scored high on two vitally important measures.

"Number One, they do communicate very well. Number Two, they lead in trustworthiness. Two really critical indicators for driving satisfaction," he said. "In some areas, they literally set the curve."

Kerry W. Kohnen, president of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, said his staff is following a member-centered approach that promotes consumer satisfaction.

"Kaiser Permanente continues to excel in member satisfaction because of our continued focus on quality, affordability, and convenience," Kohnen said in an email Wednesday. "Our members love the coordination of care that we provide. Whether they are seeing their primary care doctor or a specialist, the doctor has access to our members' complete medical history through an electronic medical record system called KP HealthConnect."

He said having a coordinated continuum of care helps set Kaiser Permanente above some of its competitors. "Outside of Kaiser Permanente, patient care is often uncoordinated. It's common for people to see different doctors for different ailments—and the doctors never communicate with each other," Kohnen said.

"Kaiser Permanente doctors have a team-approach to care, enabling them to make more informed decisions—the first time. That is why we continue to lead other health plans in both quality of care and affordability."

Convenience is another area where Kaiser Permanente is excelling, he said. "When a member walks into one of our medical centers, they can often see a primary care doctor or specialist, get lab work and X-rays, and fill their prescriptions without leaving the building. It's a one-stop-shop healthcare experience. In metro Atlanta alone, we have 29 medical centers to make sure our members have easy access to the care they need."

'Personalized Customer Service'
Connecting with consumers and their communities is a top goal at Health Alliance Plan of Michigan, according to Faisal Khan, director of product management and market intelligence. In the 2014 consumer study, HAP of Michigan ranks highest among health plan members in the Michigan region for a seventh consecutive year.

"HAP is known for excellence in personalized customer service, disease management and wellness programs," Khan said in an email Wednesday. "In addition, our community stewardship is well known. As a company and through our employees, we give back to the communities we call home and work hard to educate our friends, family and neighbors about health and well-being.

"We are known for and excel in providing members with affordable healthcare, informative communications, timely claims processing and a network of the best health care professionals in the region."

One of the keys to HAP of Michigan's customer satisfaction success has been helping members "keep healthy in the first place," Khan said, citing preventative services such as cancer screening, flu shots and physicals, educational tools, and wellness programs.