Coordination is the key to customer satisfaction. That’s according to a new study of health plans by J.D. Power, the market research giant.

Only a quarter of health plan members say their insurer helps them navigate the byzantine system of doctors, clinics, specialists and other health care providers, the study finds.

However, insurers that do provide coordination services to their members are ranked an average of 136 points higher on the 1,000 point scale on which members were asked to grade their health plans.

It’s not just connecting members to available providers that counts. It’s presenting them with a coordinated care system, in which their various providers are part of an integrated system of health care services.

And yet, contrary to the widely-reported frustrations with narrow networks, the JD Power study finds many appreciate the ability of more restricted provider networks to lower the cost of their insurance.

“Regardless of product choice, members who were presented with lower-cost narrow network options were significantly more satisfied with their health plan versus those who were not offered such an option or did not know whether it was offered,” says the study. “However, just 33 percent of respondents say they were offered a narrow network option.”

The study, which examined 168 health plans in 22 different regions of the country, focused on six key factors shaping the customer experience: “coverage and benefits, provider network, communication, claims processing, premiums and customer service.”

Plans that offered integrated delivery models “outperform traditional health plans on every factor measured in the study,” the researchers write.

The study finds some plans clearly stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. Unsurprisingly, one that performs particularly well is the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. That health plan is part of a large, California-based nonprofit organization, Kaiser Permanente, which has championed an integrated care model that puts a strong emphasis on preventative health care.

In California, Kaiser received a score of 780, well ahead of runner-up UnitedHealthCare, whose score of 716 was also the average score for insurers in the state. Cigna, Aetna and Anthem all received below-average ratings from their members.

“In California, for example, we provide members with an end-to-end experience; we own and operate a large number of clinics, hospitals, laboratories, and pharmacies,” Hal Wolf III, the chief operating officer of the Permanente Foundation, explained recently.

“At all our clinics, patients can receive primary and secondary care; at most, they can also undergo laboratory and imaging tests and get prescriptions filled. At some clinics, they can even undergo same-day outpatient surgery. This way, we take care of most of our patients’ health care needs in a single facility.”

The same dynamic was in play in Colorado, where Kaiser (725) scored far better than Cigna (693), Anthem (670), Aetna (669) and United (661).

There were noticeable, if not dramatic, differences in customer satisfaction based on region. The people of Maryland reported the highest average satisfaction with their plans (723), while Coloradans delivered the lowest average rating (672).

Past surveys have shown that those with government-provided health care. A poll by Gallup at the end of 2015 found that 78 percent of veterans are satisfied with the care they get through the VA, while 77 percent of Medicare beneficiaries and 75 percent of Medicaid enrollees give their care high marks.

That same Gallup poll found lower levels of satisfaction among those with private insurance. Sixty-nine percent of those with insurance through an employer were happy with their care, while 65 percent of those who buy a plan through the individual market said they were satisfied.

Instant Insights /

Integrated delivery models improve customer satisfaction

More From HR Executive

Related Stories

Recommended For You