Don’t call it a comeback — yet. But things are starting to look promising for the first time in a while. US health insurer Total Experience Score and Brand Experience Index (BX Index™) averages improved year over year, and the industry’s Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) average improved for the first time since 2021. This marks the end of a nasty slide downward, where the industry’s average CX Index average dropped three times in four years. Let’s break this down three ways: what’s new, what’s not new, and what’s next.

What’s New

• Noncustomers boosted BX, which in turn boosted Total Experience Scores. All but one US health insurer earned higher ratings from noncustomers year over year, pushing the industry upward. For this study, noncustomers are US online adults who are not covered by or have a plan with — but are aware of — a specified health insurer brand. So while they’re not currently customers, there’s a possibility they could be in the future.
• Forrester’s new Employee Experience Index (EX Index™) shows that health insurers have room for improvement. The EX Index examines brands’ employee experience to determine the impact of its EX on the firm’s total experience ambition. Notably, of the six health insurers for which we have EX data, three have an EX with the potential to hinder their ability to improve their total experience.

What’s Not New

• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield was top-rated for Total Experience Score, BX Index, and CX Index. The insurer repeated its industry-leading performance from 2025 (last year, it led or co-led for all three indices). It was one of the 15 health insurers with a significantly improved noncustomer BX, which powered it to higher overall BX and Total Experience Score ratings.
• Customers want clarity and help — now. Three of the top four key drivers of US health insurers’ CX relate to the answers customers get to their questions. “Addresses my questions with clear answers” was the most important driver, while two others related to the customer service rep’s performance also made the key drivers list: first contact resolution and answering all of the customer’s questions.

What’s Next

• Deep dives are on the way for CX, BX, and trust. In the coming weeks, we’ll publish deep-dive reports that examine customer experience and brand experience at the industry and segment level. We’ll also be publishing our annual state of trust for the market. These are can’t-miss reports for health insurers and their ecosystem partners (including the vendors who support them).

Where To Go From Here

• Read the report. Familiarize yourself with the rankings, key drivers, and contributors that drive the ratings of total experience, brand experience, customer experience, and employee experience.
• Engage with this data in person. If you’re registered for CX Forum East and/or CX Forum West, now’s a great time to check the event app to ensure that you’re registered for “Leveraging Key Drivers Of Total Experience: US Health Insurers, 2026.” This interactive workshop will include a preview of data from our upcoming reports, as well as activities to help attendees develop an action plan for the key drivers most relevant for their organization.
• Join us for a webinar after the Forums. We’ll be hosting a webinar on July 29 to explore the breadth of data we’ve gathered from these studies. Forrester clients can click here to register.
• Connect with us for a guidance session, inquiry, data guidance session, strategy session, or initiative workshop. We have a variety of ways to help Forrester clients use this data to inform decisions about their plans for the remainder of 2026 and beyond, whether it’s a discussion about specific key drivers or an in-person, analyst-led, cross-functional strategy session or workshop. Request a guidance session or inquiry if you’re ready to talk now; contact your account team if you’re ready to plan for a more robust, interactive session.
• Explore even more with Forrester AI. Dive even deeper into the research with our AI-powered research assistant. Ask questions such as “How can health insurers improve their Total Experience Score?” and “How can I improve my use of plain language as a health insurer?” Our powerful AI engine weaves the research together to give you a strong starting point for a follow-up in any of the interactive sessions noted above.

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