Veterans' Health Care Continues to Outscore Private Sector

Military Medicine, Spring 2006

According to an annual report on customer satisfaction that compares the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system with private-sector health care, veterans continue to be more satisfied with their health care than the average American. The ratings came in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which ranks "customer satisfaction" with various federal programs and private-sector industries.

"Although VA has received many wonderful endorsements recently, the support of our veterans - the people who know us best - is the highest praise," said the Honorable R.James Nicholson, secretary of Veterans Affairs. 'This is a testament to the hard work of VA employees, the support of Congress and the leadership of the White House."

The ACSI, an independent survey of customer satisfaction within both the federal and private sectors, gave VA's inpatient care a rating of 83 on a 100-point scale. That's 10 percentage points higher than the 73 rating achieved for inpatient care by the private-sector health care industry. VA's rating of 80 for outpatient care was five percentage points higher than the 75 rating for private-sector outpatient care and nine percentage points higher than the average satisfaction rating for all federal services.

The latest findings mark the sixth consecutive year VA's health care system has outranked the private sector for customer satisfaction. "VA provides world-class health care for our veterans," said Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, VA's Under secretary for Health. "The ACSI ratings confirm that our veterans recognize the dedicated service of VA's health care professionals."

Since 1994, the ACSI survey has been a national measurement of customer satisfaction with the quality of goods and services in the United States. ACSI produces indices of satisfaction for seven economic sectors, 41 industries, 200 private-sector companies and two types of local government services. VA's strong rating came after interviews with veterans who have recently used the Department's services. The report is the product of the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan Business School, the CFI group, and the Federal Consulting Group.

Related Site:

American Customer Satisfaction Index: www.theacsi.org