MESSA’s call center is one of only four Centers of Excellence in Michigan. BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue Research Foundation database of contact center performance metrics, the largest such database in the world.

“MESSA is a smart, efficient and cost-effective Michigan company that has long provided great value in our market because of our strong focus on customer service, quality coverage, wellness and preventive care – plan features that have been proven to reduce costs,” MESSA Executive Director Cynthia Williams said. “We take pride in seeking continuous improvement in our business practices and benchmarking our success.”

Dr. Jon Anton of Purdue’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ said, “This certification attests to the fact that MESSA has successfully balanced efficiency and effectiveness in its call center operations. Certification is such a distinction because it is based on best-practice metrics drawn from the center’s database of contact center metrics, the largest in the world.”

“MESSA’s successful business model has earned exceptional loyalty from education employees. We are unique – much like a member-governed credit union,” Williams added.

“Real people answer our phones and provide personalized member service. MESSA’s statewide network of Field Representatives provides local support. Our Member Health Education Programs are recognized nationally for quality and effectiveness. And MESSA’s wide array of wellness programs improve employee health and will help reduce costs over the long term,” Williams said.

“MESSA’s Member Service Center staff is knowledgeable and helpful—providing personal, friendly assistance to callers. Over the past 50 years MESSA has made a significant and powerful difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Michigan education employees and their families. MESSA has paid more than 300 million claims, and answered more than seven million member phone calls and 15 million letters. And MESSA has covered the births of more than 150,000 infants!”

MESSA consistently earns 99% member satisfaction scores in annual measurements. MESSA’s survey data also shows that MESSA is an important factor in job satisfaction for 92% of education employees.

In order to be certified as a “Center of Excellence,” MESSA’s Member Service Center had to meet or exceed key performance indicators and metrics established by BenchmarkPortal as standards of quality, cost-efficiency and best practices. MESSA’s call center is one of only four in the state of Michigan named “Centers of Excellence.”

Visit this link for a social media news release where you can find the release along with links to MESSA’s social media outlets, website, photos and more: http://pitch.pe/127452.

About BenchmarkPortal
BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue Research Foundation database of contact center performance metrics, the largest such database in the world. Data is collected in conjunction with the Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ at Purdue University. In 2005, BenchmarkPortal received U.S. Patent #6,877,034 for its unique methodology of call center performance evaluation through metric gap analysis. They provide reports, products and services for contact centers in the areas of operational metrics, customer satisfaction measurement and agent satisfaction measurement. For further information visit www.BenchmarkPortal.com.

For more information contact:
Brian Carrington
805.618.1576
brian@benchmarkportal.com

About MESSA
MESSA is a not-for-profit membership association and a Michigan business success story. MESSA employs 300 staff statewide. MESSA earned a 99% satisfaction score from its members in its last member survey. MESSA is able to provide a great value in the market because of its member focus and cost-effective business model. In addition to outstanding customer-service and best business practices, MESSA places a strong emphasis on member education, wellness and preventive care to reduce the cost of health care while supporting its members’ good health. Discover more about MESSA at www.messa.org.

For additional information contact:
Gary Fralick, MESSA Director of Communications and Government Relations
517.336.4077
gfralick@messa.org

MESSA was honored for providing efficient and effective customer service as measured against best practice metrics by The Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ at Purdue University and BenchmarkPortal.

“MESSA is a successful Michigan company that takes pride in providing outstanding customer service and seeking continuous improvement in our business practices,” MESSA Executive Director Cynthia Williams said. “Receiving this national recognition for the fourth consecutive year is proof of our staff’s unrelenting commitment to excellence.”

Dr. Jon Anton of Purdue’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ said “This certification attests to the fact that MESSA has successfully balanced efficiency and effectiveness in its call center operations. Certification is such a distinction because it is based on best-practice metrics drawn from the center’s database of contact center metrics, the largest in the world.”

“There are many reasons MESSA is a leader in providing high quality and cost-effective health plans to Michigan’s public school employees, Williams added. “MESSA’s success is rooted in our industry-leading customer service and strong focus on supporting good health.

“Real people answer the phones at our award-winning East Lansing Member Service Center. MESSA’s statewide network of Field Representatives provides local support for our members. Our Member Health Education Programs are recognized nationally for quality and effectiveness. And MESSA’s wide array of wellness programs improve employee health and will help reduce costs over the long term.”

In order to be certified as a “Center of Excellence,” MESSA’s Member Service Center had to meet or exceed key performance indicators and metrics established by BenchmarkPortal as standards of quality, cost-efficiency and best practices. MESSA’s call center is one of only four in the state of Michigan named “Centers of Excellence.”

“Rising medical costs coupled with Michigan’s challenging economic situation make it very important for MESSA to be extremely efficient and a wise steward of our members’ premium dollars,” Williams said. “MESSA strives to provide high value and cost-effective health plans that help keep school employees healthy and on the job.”

MESSA’s member satisfaction grew to a record 99% in its 2009 member survey.

About BenchmarkPortal
BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue Research Foundation database of contact center performance metrics, the largest such database in the world. Data is collected in conjunction with the Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ at Purdue University. In 2005, BenchmarkPortal received U.S. Patent #6,877,034 for its unique methodology of call center performance evaluation through metric gap analysis. They provide reports, products and services for contact centers in the areas of operational metrics, customer satisfaction measurement and agent satisfaction measurement. For further research information visit www.BenchmarkPortal.com.

For more information contact:

Chris Ablan

805.465.7201 ext 7014

chris@benchmarkportal.com

About MESSA
MESSA is a not-for-profit membership association and a Michigan business success story. MESSA employs almost 300 staff statewide. MESSA earned a 99% satisfaction score from its members in its 2009 member survey. MESSA is able to provide a great value in the market because of its member focus and efficient business model. In addition to outstanding customer-service and best business practices, MESSA places a strong emphasis on member education, wellness and preventive care. Discover more about MESSA at www.messa.org.

“URAC Disease Management Accreditation of our disease management and member support programs is more proof that MESSA is a leader in providing high quality and cost-effective member support programs to public school employees,” MESSA Executive Director Cynthia Williams said.

“Our goals are to help our 82,000 members and their families better manage their conditions, improve their quality of life and reduce health care costs over the longterm,” Williams added. “The fact is MESSA is an efficient and cost-effective Michigan company that’s a model for health benefit delivery for Michigan’s public school employees.”

URAC Disease Management Accreditation of MESSA’s three chronic disease management programs – asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular – came just one year after MESSA secured URAC Case Management Accreditation of its medical case management program. MESSA has also received national recognition for three consecutive years for the superior efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its East Lansing-based Member Service Center by The Center for Customer-Driven Quality at Purdue University and BenchmarkPortal.

“MESSA strives for continuous quality improvement and innovation in our member support programs,” Williams said. “URAC Disease Management Accreditation is further proof that our programs and services compare favorably when benchmarked to the best practices of our peers nationally.”

URAC accreditation standards for disease management programs require companies to benchmark and measure their effectiveness at identifying and engaging patients with chronic illnesses and high-cost conditions. MESSA’s Asthma, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Education and Member Support programs provide highly-personalized support from MESSA nurses to help members better manage their conditions and utilize appropriate evidence-based medical treatments.

“By applying for and receiving URAC Disease Management Accreditation, MESSA has demonstrated a commitment to quality health care,” said Alan P. Spielman, URAC President and CEO. “Quality health care is crucial to our nation’s welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards and undergo rigorous evaluation by an independent accrediting body.”

MESSA is a successful Michigan company incorporated as a 501(c)(9) not-for-profit membership association. MESSA’s member support, disease management, medical case management and call center staff are headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. Its statewide network of local Field Representatives are located in communities throughout the state.

About MESSA
MESSA is a successful Michigan company that has served the health care needs of Michigan’s public school employees for almost 50 years. MESSA was chartered as a not-for-profit membership association in 1960. Its corporate headquarters are in East Lansing, Michigan. MESSA employs 300 staff statewide. MESSA regularly earns 98 percent satisfaction scores from its members. Ninety-two percent say MESSA coverage is an important factor in their job satisfaction. MESSA is able to provide a great value in the market because of its member focus and efficient business model. In addition to outstanding customer-service and best business practices, MESSA places a strong emphasis on member education, wellness and preventive care. Discover more about MESSA at www.messa.org.

About URAC
URAC is a nationally recognized accreditation organization whose mission is to promote continuous improvement in the quality and efficiency of healthcare management through the processes of accreditation and education. To support this goal, the URAC Board of Directors represents the full spectrum of stakeholders interested in our health care system, including consumers, employers, health care providers, health insurers, purchasers, workers’ compensation carriers and regulators. Incorporated in 1990, URAC pioneered utilization management accreditation by creating a nationally recognized set of standards to ensure accountability in managed care determinations of medical necessity. As the health care industry evolves, URAC continues to address emerging issues: URAC now offers over 25 accreditation and certification programs across the health care spectrum in health care management, health care operations, health information technology and pharmacy quality management. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

Cynthia Williams, MESSA Executive Director

EAST LANSING, Mich. – MESSA’s average statewide rate increase for 2009-2010 will be 4.9 percent following action by the health insurer’s board to use $59 million from reserves to keep next year’s rate increase to a minimum, the company announced today.

The MESSA Board of Trustees dedicated $59 million from the company’s Rate Stabilization Reserve (RSR) fund to reduce the rate increase by more than five percent. Without the board action to utilize reserves, MESSA’s medical cost and utilization trends would have meant a statewide average increase around 10 percent. An RSR fund allows MESSA to provide rate stability and protect its customers from the year-to-year spikes in rates that are common elsewhere in the small group insurance market. MESSA has used almost $200 million from its reserves over the past four years to subsidize lower rates.

“We are proud that our average annual rate increases for the past four years have averaged less than five percent – far lower than the competition and the industry average in Michigan,” said MESSA Executive Director Cynthia Williams.

“Our management, customer service, product mix and business model are all working together to provide competitive rates and quality coverage for Michigan school employees,” Williams added. “Our successful track record is critically important to employers as we head into a much different insurance market shaped by the 2007 law that created disincentives for our traditional large pools.”

The law, Public Act 106 (PA 106), forced MESSA to change its pooling business model by requiring the release of employees’ medical claims data to their employers from its large regional pools. A pure pooling model is no longer sustainable.

While MESSA’s average increase will be under five percent, PA 106 will result in a far wider range of rates for individual employers – with five percent reductions to 10 to 18 percent increases likely — than at any time in MESSA’s 50 years of existence.

“Sadly, PA 106 has created winners and losers among school districts, and in coming years the law will make rates from all insurance carriers far more volatile and less predictable,” Williams said.

MESSA’s new business model will continue to provide the greatest degree of protection and spreading of risk that is available in the market, including a large statewide pool for groups smaller than 100 employees, blended experience-rating for groups from 100 to 499, and full experience-rating for groups larger than 500.

MESSA is working diligently and creatively to meet the needs of school employees and districts for quality coverage while providing cost-effective options for cash-strapped districts and their employees. MESSA’s quality, cost-effective coverage options help schools attract and retain strong, talented staffs. School employees with MESSA have saved their employers more than $500 million by moving to less-costly options.

MESSA’s 2009-2010 rates have also been reviewed and approved by the state Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation. MESSA’s Marketing and Rating Department will compute and release rate renewals for individual groups in coming weeks.

Related Links

About MESSA

MESSA is a Michigan company that employs more than 300 people statewide. It is a not-for-profit membership organization chartered in 1960 as a VEBA (Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association) to serve the health insurance needs of Michigan education employees. Based in East Lansing, MESSA serves about half of the education insurance market in Michigan. MESSA was created and is governed by school employees. We consistently earn 98 percent member satisfaction for our nationally-recognized service (when members call they talk to a real person in Michigan) and quality. Ninety-two percent of MESSA members say its coverage is an important factor in their job satisfaction. Discover more at www.messa.org.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – MESSA’s East Lansing-based Member Service Center has been recognized for the third consecutive year for superior efficiency and performance in providing outstanding customer service to MESSA members.

MESSA was honored for providing efficient and effective customer service as measured against best practice metrics by The Center for Customer-Driven Quality ™ at Purdue University and BenchmarkPortal.

“MESSA is constantly striving to become more efficient and effective in delivering its traditional outstanding member service,” MESSA Executive Director Cynthia Williams said. “This award is further proof of our continuing success at adopting and implementing efficient and cost-effective business practices.”

Dr. Jon Anton of Purdue’s Center for Customer-Driven Quality said “This certification attests to the fact that MESSA has successfully balanced efficiency and effectiveness in its call center operations. Certification is such a distinction because it is based on best-practice metrics drawn from the center’s database of contact center metrics, the largest in the world.”

“MESSA’s tradition of providing outstanding service efficiently is one of the key factors that have helped MESSA earn and keep the intense loyalty of its members,” Williams said. “This national recognition by the industry leader in benchmarking call center quality is further confirmation of our business model and practices.”

In order to be certified as a “Center of Excellence,” MESSA’s Member Service Center had to meet or exceed key performance indicators and metrics established by BenchmarkPortal as standards of quality, cost-efficiency and best practices. MESSA’s call center is one of only four in the state of Michigan named “Centers of Excellence.”

“Rising medical and pharmaceutical costs coupled with Michigan’s perilous budget situation make it very important for MESSA to be extremely efficient and a wise steward of our members’ premium dollars,” Williams added. “Having our Member Service Center honored as a ‘Center of Excellence’ is a tribute to our employees’ efforts to provide outstanding member service and our leadership in providing that service efficiently.”

MESSA coverage is important to Michigan’s public school employees and to the success of their school districts. Ninety percent of school employees covered by MESSA say it is an important factor in their job satisfaction. With a strong focus on wellness and supporting members’ health care needs, MESSA helps keep school employees healthy and on the job.

About BenchmarkPortal

BenchmarkPortal is the custodian of the Purdue Research Foundation database of contact center performance metrics, the largest such database in the world. Data is collected in conjunction with the Center for Customer-Driven Quality™ at Purdue University. In 2005, BenchmarkPortal received U.S. Patent #6,877,034 for its unique methodology of call center performance evaluation through metric gap analysis. They provide reports, products and services for contact centers in the areas of operational metrics, customer satisfaction measurement and agent satisfaction measurement. For further research information visit www.BenchmarkPortal.com

BenchMark Media Contact:
Chris Ablan
805.465.7201 ext 7014
chris@benchmarkportal.com