Health and Healthcare

Health Insurance Satisfaction Slashed by Coverage Issues

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More than 40% of health insurance plan customers were dissatisfied with their plan’s coverage, according to the latest data from J.D. Power’s 2014 Member Health Plan Study. Overall member satisfaction based on the survey scored an average of 669 on a 1,000-point scale. The findings are based on the 2013 plan year and do not include data on satisfaction with the plans available under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

The main source of dissatisfaction with health plans is that members do not believe they get enough coverage for routine visits, serious illness or injury, health and wellness programs, routine diagnostics and drug coverage. Concerns with coverage-related issues lowered satisfaction levels by 133 points.

The J.D. Power study considers six factors in its survey: coverage and benefits; provider choice; information and communication; claims processing; cost; and customer service.

Fully 55% of those surveyed said they had a rate increase in 2013, which had a negative impact on their score for cost satisfaction. In the area of provider choice, 74% said that they were able to keep their preferred physician and 83% were able to retain the same hospital network. Some 75% said they filed a claim for benefits in 2013. Finally, nearly half of all respondents said their health plan does not offer the most common kinds of health and wellness discount/incentive programs.

The average monthly premium paid in 2013 was $285.

J.D. Power plans to publish a report in April on satisfaction with Obamacare. That one should be very interesting.

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