BCBSND No. 1 for insurance plans

June 28--Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota ranked No. 1 among the nation's Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plans during the second half of 2013 in a set of customer service metrics.

BCBSND ranked No. 1 among Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans with a 99.93 score out of 100 possible points in industry Member Touchpoint Measures (MTM) rankings.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans use MTM scores to track the accuracy and timeliness that enrollment, claims processing and member inquiries are resolved, as well as the rate of first call resolution of member inquiries.

"As a member-owned nonprofit, our members are at the center of everything we do," said Tim Huckle, BCBSND's interim president and CEO and chief operating officer. "These outstanding MTM scores underscore our focus on putting members first and providing best-in-class customer service to individual members and employer groups in North Dakota."

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association MTM quality assurance program helps to quantify the service that Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide to members and medical facilities, Huckle said. Each health plan can earn as many as 100 index points by reaching MTM goal scores. BCBSND met goals for all member customer service and claims categories and fell just a fraction of a point shy of a perfect score in group enrollment accuracy.

BCBSND's accomplishment showcases the outstanding customer service the company provided to individual members, employer groups and health-care providers during a time of rapid change in the industry, Huckle said. The second half of 2013 ushered in one of the most momentous changes in U.S. health care in decades with the addition of state health insurance marketplaces in each state and as part of the Affordable Care Act, he said.

"Our members have come to expect outstanding customer service from us, and we hold ourselves to high standards," said Mark Tschider, BCBSND's vice president of Customer Support and Claims Administration. "We will continue to deliver the best possible customer service to our members, employers and the health-care facilities where our members seek care."

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