Temkin Group rates 13 health plans

A new research report published by Temkin Group, 2012 Temkin Experience Ratings, rates the customer experience of 206 large companies across 18 industries. This is the second year that Temkin Group has released these ratings.

The research, which is based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers in January 2012, includes 13 health plans. Kaiser Permanente was the top-rated health plan, the only plan to receive an "okay" rating, but it only ranked 87th in the overall ratings. TriCare, Medicare, Aetna, United Healthcare, Humana, Empire BCBS, Blue Shield of CA, and CIGNA all received "poor" ratings. Four plans received "very poor" ratings and are ranked in the bottom seven across all 18 industries: Highmark BCBS, Health Net, Medicaid, and Anthem BCBS.

Health plans represented the lowest-rated industry, and only one of three industries to receive an average rating of "poor." The industry, however, experienced a modest improvement between 2011 and 2012.

"It's troubling that only one health plan can even achieve an okay rating; the entire industry needs a customer experience wake-up call. While it's great to see some improvement, it's not enough," states Bruce Temkin, author of the report and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The Temkin Experience Ratings evaluates three dimensions of customer experience:

• Functional: Does the company meet consumers' needs?
• Accessible: How easy is it for consumers to do what they are trying to do?
• Emotional: How do consumers feel about their interactions with companies?

Other highlights from the research include:

• Kaiser Permanente and TriCare received the highest Functional ratings, while Highmark BCBS and Health Net received the lowest.
• Kaiser Permanente and Aetna received the highest Accessible ratings, while Medicaid, Health Net, and Highmark BCBS received the lowest.
• Kaiser Permanente and TriCare received the highest Emotional ratings, while Highmark BCBS and Health Net received the lowest.
• Ten health plans were included in both the 2011 and 2012 Temkin Experience Ratings. Kaiser Permanente had a double-digit improvement in its score while five other plans increased their score by five or more points: Anthem BCBS, Aetna, United Healthcare, CIGNA, and Humana.
• TriCare was the only health plan to slip by five points or more between 2011 and 2012, but Medicaid and Medicare also declined.

SOURCE Temkin Group