What You Should Know:
– Health insurance members, both in commercial and Medicare Advantage plans, are increasingly relying on their health plan’s websites and mobile apps for communication. However, these digital experiences are falling short of the standards members expect from other digital-forward industries.
– The J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Healthcare Digital Experience Study reveals that health plan websites and apps frequently fail to meet basic expectations for ease of navigation and the ability to review coverage information.
U.S. Healthcare Digital Experience Study Background
The U.S. Healthcare Digital Experience Study, in its second year, measures satisfaction across five factors: visual appeal; navigation; information/content; speed; and telehealth. The 2025 study is based on evaluations from 6,259 members of the 15 largest Medicare Advantage plans and 15 largest commercial member health plans in the U.S. The study was conducted from August to December 2024.
Mobile App Satisfaction Lags
Customer satisfaction with health plan apps is significantly lower than in other industries studied by J.D. Power.
- Commercial member health plans: Average app satisfaction is 653 (on a 1,000-point scale).
- Medicare Advantage plans: Average app satisfaction is 597.
- For comparison:
- Full-service wealth management companies: 794
- Property and casualty insurers: 700
- Automotive finance companies: 672
Digital Experience Impacts Satisfaction and Renewal
A positive digital experience strongly correlates with member satisfaction and plan renewal intent.
- For commercial member health plans with overall satisfaction scores of 801 or higher, 58% of members are likely to have a much more positive impression of their employer.
- For Medicare Advantage plans with satisfaction scores of 801 or higher, 85% of members say they “definitely will” renew, more than double the loyalty rate for those with scores of 500 or less.
Ease of Use is Crucial
The most important factor driving satisfaction is how easily members can find the information they need. Meeting this criterion increases overall member satisfaction by 83 points. However, health plans fail to provide this level of digital experience 39% of the time.
Mobile Apps Show Potential
Mobile app usage is increasing, with 37% of commercial health plan members using their insurer’s app in 2025 (up from 31% in 2024). Overall satisfaction is highest among mobile app users compared to website or phone users. But a poor mobile app experience significantly decreases the likelihood of future use.
Commercial Member Health Plans Ranking
- Cigna Healthcare ranks highest (683)
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan ranks second (680)
- Centene ranks third (664)
Medicare Advantage Plans Ranking
- UPMC Health Plan ranks highest (687)
- UnitedHealthcare ranks second (650)
- Cigna Healthcare ranks third (644)
“So many daily interactions with service providers are successfully managed digitally, resulting in continually higher customer expectations for a world-class digital experience,” said Eric McCready, director of digital solutions at J.D. Power. “However, health insurance providers have a lot of work to do to close the gap to other industries. The most important factors driving member satisfaction with mobile apps and websites include making it easy to find the information they need; providing clear explanations of deductibles and out-of-pocket spending; and offering intuitive navigational elements. Many plans are simply not delivering on those basics.”
