Member Satisfaction

It is important for providers to know if members are satisfied with the care and services received. Community Care contracts with PressGaney to conduct an annual Member Satisfaction Survey using a modified version of the Experience of Care and Health Outcomes (ECHO) Survey. Overall, the 2023 Member Satisfaction Survey, (based on care received in 2022), reflected high member satisfaction in several areas. With satisfaction rates at or above 90%, members and families responded that providers:

  • Explained things in a way members could understand
  • Respected what members had to say
  • Made members feel safe during counseling or treatment

For several years the highest satisfaction score has consistently been in the Community Care Behavioral Health category, with adult members consistently reporting no delays in counseling or treatment while waiting for approval of services by Community Care.

Community Care identified two opportunities for improvement (OFI) based upon the prior Member Satisfaction Survey results. These two areas included the Response Rate (or increasing the number of members responding to the survey), as well as Urgent Access, which asks the member if they got counseling or treatment as soon as they wanted. In the most recent survey, the child and adult response rates each demonstrated improvement from 2022 to 2023 and met their respective goals of 12.6% and 14.6%; as a result of meeting this goal, the response rate area was not continued as a goal. However, the Urgent Access question’s rates of 60.4% for adults and 60.7% for child fell below the goals of 65.9% and 62.4%, respectively.

Community Care will continue to implement the below interventions to address Urgent Access:

  • In 2021, Community Care developed an internal Network Accessibility Workgroup tasked with capturing access related to network data that reflects diverse inputs including, but not limited to, member complaints, non-participating provider utilization metrics, and provider reports. This workgroup is piloting projects related to network expansion, including innovation around the recruitment and retention of providers, conducting financial analysis of various incentive programs/rate increases, and exploring opportunities around the use of integrated, virtual and nontraditional care models. Provider recruitment has been a key aspect of this work group, which developed a brochure about joining the provider network (CCBH-Recruitment-Brochure.pdf).
  • Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) continue to make outreach Welcome Calls to all new members. During these calls, the CSRs assist members to ensure they have timely access to care.
  • Network developed a report for quarterly review that reflects network changes (additions/closures by level of care) in each contracted network to assess trends and develop specific interventions.
  • The implementation of the 1135 waiver due to COVID-19 allowed for the loosening of precertification and authorization protocols as well as the expansion of telehealth, which enabled quicker and easier access to services. Moving forward, with the termination of the 1135 waiver, some of these protocols remain in place.
  • The COVID-19 webpages that previously offered COVID-19 resources have been transitioned to address post-COVID needs and the ending of the Public Health Emergency (Post-COVID and PHE Ending Information: Members and Post-COVID and PHE Ending Information: Providers).
  • Customer Service and Care Management staff are available to help members schedule appointments. Community Care maintains a “Contact Us” link on the Community Care member webpage, Home: HealthChoices Members - Community Care (ccbh.com), so that members may easily contact Customer Service at any time.
  • Access standards are shared at the Member and Family Advisory Meetings, with reminders that Community Care can be contacted, if help is needed in scheduling appointments.
  • A Provider Alert was issued in 2022 reminding providers of the Access standards and the requirement to notify Community Care when they are unable to accept members for services (Provider Alert #9 - Provider Requirements for Appointment Access).
  • Member cards are distributed in the new member packets. These cards contain information regarding Community Care as well as how to access behavioral health services.
  • Community Care maintains a webpage that outlines Access standards for members. This webpage also details Care Management interventions related to ensuring Access as well as how to contact Community Care if members are having problems getting an appointment soon enough to meet their needs (Getting an Appointment on Time: Members).
  • Access expectations for urgent appointments are detailed for providers within the Provider Manual, which may be found on Community Care's provider website (Community Care Provider Manual (ccbh.com))

In 2021, the survey was modified to assess the impacts of COVID-19 and evaluate data related to race, ethnicity, and language. Members reported high levels of satisfaction with the option of receiving services via telehealth, which scored 95.3% for adults and 94.5% for children. Additional statistical analysis was performed to identify differences within the survey questions based upon race, ethnicity, and language. Both the highest and lowest satisfaction scores by race, ethnicity, and language align with the overall results of the survey, with White and Black members having very high rates of satisfaction with Telehealth, and White, Black, and Asian members having low rates of satisfaction within the Urgent Access category. It should be noted that these results should be interpreted with caution due to some of the lower sample sizes associated within the various sub-populations.

Community Care thanks providers for their efforts to increase members' satisfaction. If you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments please call your provider representative.