WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- US Family Health Plan today reports 2004 national member satisfaction ratings of 85 percent and enrollment growth of over four-and-a-half percent. Results demonstrate members' view of the US Family Health Plan as a long-term TRICARE Prime option available to families of active-duty military, as well as retirees and their eligible family members across the United States.
"Each year, we elect to evaluate our members' satisfaction with the Plan in order to assess our effectiveness in meeting the healthcare needs of our military families," said Kate Ryan, current chairperson for the US Family Health Plan Alliance. "We go through this rigorous process because we believe that healthcare is not delivered to the masses, it is delivered to the individual."
Conducted by Market Street Research of Northampton, MA, the US Family Health Plan 2004 satisfaction ratings are among the highest in the Plan's 11-year history at 85 percent, receiving almost 24 percent higher satisfaction ratings than the national average for health plans as reported by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. In the latest satisfaction survey, a sample of members, representing each of the TRICARE Designated Provider organizations that offer the US Family Health Plan, rated their overall satisfaction with the Plan, customer service and the utilization of health care services. Rated on a scale ranging from zero to 10 (10 being the highest satisfaction rating), 88 percent of members rated their overall satisfaction with care received as an eight or higher and 83 percent of members rated their overall satisfaction with primary care providers as an eight or higher.
"For eleven straight years, our members have evaluated the quality of care and service they've received, and we've listened. We are constantly evaluating our methods to ensure that we are delivering healthcare at the highest levels possible," said Ryan.
While members continue to express high levels of satisfaction with the Plan, the survey results also concluded that members would generally recommend the military healthcare option to others and are not intending to switch to another health plan. Members also cited that they now receive resolutions to problems in a timelier manner, and in most cases resolution wait time had been cut in half from previous years.
"Our members know that they are heard and that their healthcare options are stable -- even amid national and military healthcare changes," added Ryan. "With the Plan's recent improvements and new strategic support, our members know that US Family Health Plan will always be there to provide them with reliable, high-quality healthcare and excellence in customer service."
This year, US Family Health Plan announced the expansion of service areas, renovation of key facilities and the improvement of operations. This was in response to the increasing geographic demands from the Plan's growing membership of 90,586, which is at its highest in several years. Over the past year, the Plan experienced an annualized change in enrollment of over four-and-a-half percent, seeing increases in the Baltimore, Boston, New York and Portland programs. In addition, US Family Health Plan recently appointed an executive director to provide leadership and guidance to the executive committee on strategic and operational matters. Tracy Malone, former Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, will start August 23 in Washington DC.
About the US Family Health Plan:
US Family Health Plan is a TRICARE Prime option available to families of active duty military, retirees and their eligible family members, including those age 65 and over, through networks of community-based hospitals and physicians in six areas of the country. US Family Health Plan enrollment is offered through:
-- JOHNS HOPKINS COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS 1-800-808-7347
Serving central Maryland and parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia and
West Virginia
-- MARTIN'S POINT HEALTH CARE 1-888-241-4556
Serving Maine and New Hampshire
-- BRIGHTON MARINE HEALTH CENTER 1-800-818-8589
Serving Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, and Rhode Island
-- SAINT VINCENT CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTERS 1-800-241-4848
Serving parts of New York, all of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania
and southern Connecticut
-- CHRISTUS HEALTH 1-800-678-7347
Serving southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana
-- PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTERS (PacMed Clinics) 1-888-958-7347
Serving the Puget Sound area of Washington State
For more information, visit the US Family Health Plan Web site at www.usfamilyhealthplan.org.