Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Ranks Highest in Member Satisfaction among Health Plans in the Heartland Region for a Second Consecutive Year

Kansas City, MO
March 21, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 21, 2013) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) has received the "Highest Member Satisfaction among Health Plans in the Heartland Region" award for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Member Health Plan Study^SM.

"It's such an honor to receive this award for a second year in a row," said David Gentile, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue KC. "With even more competition coming from two additional states added to our region this year, this recognition is truly a demonstration of Blue KC's ongoing efforts to exceed the high expectations of our members."

Now in its seventh year, the study measures satisfaction among more than 33,000 members of 136 health plans in 17 regions throughout the United States by examining seven key factors: coverage and benefits; provider choice; information and communication; claims processing; statements; customer service; and approval process.

Blue KC received the highest numerical score among commercial health plans in the Heartland Region, including Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, achieving an overall score of 720 out of a possible 1,000 points. Arkansas and Oklahoma were added to Heartland Region for the first time this year, increasing the number of commercial health plans from nine to 11.

"I want to personally thank our employees for their commitment to excellence," said Gentile. "We're proud to offer the choices, benefits and services that our members desire the most."

The study was fielded in December 2012 and January 2013. For more comprehensive health plan rankings for all 17 U.S. regions, please visit jdpower.com.

About Blue and Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. *Ranked by J.D. Power and Associates in 2013 as "Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Heartland Region, Two Years in a Row," Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to use our role as the area's leading health insurer to provide affordable access to health care and to improve the health and wellness of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com. * Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City received the highest numerical score among commercial health plans in the Heartland region (AR, IA, KS, MO, NE, OK) in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012-2013 U.S. Member Health Plan Study^SM. 2013 study based on 33,533 total member responses, measuring 11 plans in the Heartland Region (excludes Medicare and Medicaid). Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of members surveyed December 2012-January 2013. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing forecasting, performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit jdpower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.