Anthem health coverage is judged best
Members gave Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Connecticut the highest grade of any insurance carrier in New England on a new J.D. Power and Associates survey assessing customer satisfaction.
Anthem edged out Massachusetts-based Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, which for three years running has topped a national ranking of health plans published by U.S. News and World Report.
Anthem had one of the five top scores of more than 100 carriers surveyed, with Pennsylvania-based Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield leading the nation. In New York and New Jersey, United Healthcare led all carriers on the J.D. Power survey, followed by Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Indianapolis-based Anthem has its eastern headquarters in North Haven, and has a sales office in Norwalk. The company is one of six authorized to sell coverage in Connecticut through a health maintenance organization. Three of those carriers were not included on the J.D. Power survey.
In a press release, J.D. Power indicated that respondents felt coverage and benefits were the most important factor in satisfaction with their health plan, followed by choice of doctors and a carrier”™s communication record.
“Health insurer performance fluctuates greatly ”“ even among different regional plans from the same insurance company ”“ and this lack of service consistency can present a real challenge for human resources executives,” said Jim Dougherty, executive director of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power and Associates, which is based in Westlake Village, Calif.
“Businesses have less and less tolerance for insurers that aren”™t consistently engaging members and helping them manage their own health care and the
associated costs.”