Humana Receives Top Ranking for Health Plan Member Experience

For the second year in a row, Humana has ranked number one for customer experience quality in Forrester’s 2022 US Customer Experience Benchmark survey, highlighting the payer’s commitment to improving member experience.

“Our focus continues to be on building trust with our members in every interaction we have with them,” Jennifer Bazante, chief marketing officer of Humana, said in the press release. “Forrester’s recognition of Humana’s efforts to go above and beyond for our members is a validation of our strategy to always put our members first.”

The survey reflects responses from over 96,000 US customers across 221 brands and 13 industries. Forrester’s customer experience index score measures how a payer delivers customer experiences that create and sustain loyalty.

In addition to ranking number one in customer experience among health insurers, Humana received the highest ranking for the fourth year in a row for providing clear communication to members and offering transparent premiums, copayments, and fees. The payer also received the top ranking for customer service.

“This year’s CX Index results clearly indicate that brands need to continue to be customer obsessed — putting their customers at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations — if they want to deliver exceptional CX,” Michelle Yaiser, vice president of CX Analytics at Forrester, said in the press release. “Brands that provide strong emotional quality in customer experiences see higher CX Index scores, foster greater brand loyalty, and enable stronger customer trust.”

Improving member experience for health plans can help boost revenues by reducing churn, according to the press release.

A separate study conducted by Forrester revealed that payers have been lacking in the digital member experience department. For example, members expressed dissatisfaction with their health plan’s website, emailing, and online chat features.

Data has suggested that public payers generate better member experiences. Medicare Advantage, Medicare fee-for-service, and Medicaid plans received higher member satisfaction scores than employer-sponsored health plans did, according to a survey from Insure.com.

Medicare Advantage plans, in particular, have received positive feedback from members. For example, an eHealth survey found that 88 percent of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were satisfied with their plan and 86 percent would recommend Medicare Advantage to family or friends.

In the past year, Humana has expanded its Medicare Advantage footprint and offered additional benefits to its beneficiaries.

The payer announced plans to launch new Medicare Advantage plans in Tennessee that address dual-eligible benefits, veteran coverage, and food insecurity. The payer also introduced COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination coverage for all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in the state.

In addition, Humana has worked to expand value-based care to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.