COSTA MESA Calif.—The overall satisfaction level among vision plan members increased to 757 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2017, the highest level in the four years the study has been conducted, according to J.D. Power's 2017 Vision Plan Satisfaction Report.

Better coverage plans, costs and increased customer communication in 2017 drove the improved satisfaction levels, according to J.D. Power, a consumer research and advisory services firm based here. The survey measures customer satisfaction with vision plan providers based on five factors (in order of importance): coverage, cost, communications, customer service and reimbursement.

“Vision plans have embraced the challenges that accompany a more customer-focused health care market,” Rick Johnson, director of the health care practice at J.D. Power, said in the announcement. “Improvements in communication are crucial in helping members better understand the value they are receiving, as well as how to use their plans.”

Among the key findings of the study:
• Overall satisfaction among vision plan members increased to 757 from 753 in 2016. Overall satisfaction was 707 in 2015 and 709 in 2014.
• Almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) satisfied vision plan members, with overall satisfaction scores above 900, said they “definitely will” recommend the provider to others, compared with the report average of 38 percent.
• Given the choice, more than 9 in 10 (93 percent) of satisfied members say they “definitely will” select the same vision plan provider, compared with the report average of 38 percent.

In the survey’s rankings of individual plans, UHC/Optum ranked highest in customer satisfaction with a 780 rating, and it performed “particularly well in the coverage, cost, communication and customer service factors,” according to the announcement. Highmark/Davis Vision/HM Insurance and EyeMed tied for second (765 rating), followed by VSP with a rating of 753, according to J.D. Power.

The 2017 Vision Plan Satisfaction Report was based on responses from more than 1,300 vision plan members and was fielded in October 2017.

In the 2016 survey, Combined Insurance/Chubb ranked No. 1 in satisfaction with a 793 rating. EyeMed ranked second (775) and UnitedHealthcare/Optum ranked third (762).