Kaiser Permanente tops in employer satisfaction, J.D. Power finds

Kaiser Permanente, California’s largest nonprofit health plan, ranked highest in employer satisfaction nationwide in the latest J.D. Power and Associates study.

The study, now in its third year, asked employers about service, benefit design, problem resolution, cost and other measures. Kaiser led all fully insured plans with a score of 716 out of 1,000 total points. Aetna Inc. scored highest for employer self-funded plans with 680 points.

In the fully insured category, two of the industry’s biggest companies — UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint — scored below average. UnitedHealth received 661 points and WellPoint, which runs Anthem Blue Cross in California, earned 655 points. J.D. Power said the industry average was 672.

UnitedHealth and WellPoint were slightly below the industry average in the self-insured category as well, according to the study.

J.D. Power said cost remains a primary concern for both employers and workers and those premiums have a bigger impact when it comes to choosing a health plan than the service experience.

These scores were based on responses from 6,579 employers in April and May, according to J.D. Power.

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