NRC Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Hays said winners are determined by member satisfaction assessed in the companys annual NRC Healthcare Market Guide study. Of the health plans named by consumers in the study, the winning plans rank highest in their state. The 2006/07 NRC Healthcare Market Guide study surveyed over 200,000 households representing 400,000 covered lives in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

"Consumers continue to pay more of their premiums and are therefore becoming more involved in the health plan decision process," Hays said. "As more healthcare quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend of consumer involvement to increase. These organizations are selected for the Customer Care Award by the members they serve. We are pleased to honor these plans for their dedication to superior customer service in the eyes of their members."

The 2006/07 Healthcare Market Guide is the nations largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure health plan performance contains more consumer responses than NRCs study. The study has a margin of error of + or 0.2 percent at a national level.

National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCI) is an industry leader, with more than two decades of experience in healthcare performance measurement and improvement.

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