Consumer Experiences in a Consumer-Driven Health Plan
Objective. To assess the experience of enrollees in a consumer‐driven health plan (CDHP). Data Sources/Study Setting. Survey of University of Minnesota employees regarding their 2002 health benefits. Study Design. Comparison of regression‐adjusted mean values for CDHP and other plan enrollees: custo...
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Published in | Health services research Vol. 39; no. 4p2; pp. 1123 - 1140 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford, UK
Blackwell Publishing
01.08.2004
Health Research and Educational Trust Blackwell Publishing Ltd Blackwell Science Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Objective. To assess the experience of enrollees in a consumer‐driven health plan (CDHP).
Data Sources/Study Setting. Survey of University of Minnesota employees regarding their 2002 health benefits.
Study Design. Comparison of regression‐adjusted mean values for CDHP and other plan enrollees: customer service, plan paperwork, overall satisfaction, and plan switching. For CDHP enrollees only, use of plan features, willingness to recommend the plan to others, and reports of particularly negative or positive experiences.
Principal Findings. There were significant differences in experiences of CDHP enrollees versus enrollees in other plans with customer service and paperwork, but similar levels of satisfaction (on a 10‐point scale) with health plans. Eight percent of CDHP enrollees left their plan after one year, compared to 5 percent of enrollees leaving other plans. A minority of CDHP enrollees used online plan features, but enrollees generally were satisfied with the amount and quality of the information provided by the CDHP. Almost half reported a particularly positive experience, compared to a quarter reporting a particularly negative experience. Thirty percent said they would recommend the plan to others, while an additional 57 percent said they would recommend it depending on the situation.
Conclusions. Much more work is needed to determine how consumer experience varies with the number and type of plan options available, the design of the CDHP, and the length of time in the CDHP. Research also is needed on the factors that affect consumer decisions to leave CDHPs. |
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Bibliography: | ArticleID:HESR278 ark:/67375/WNG-GN69N0GF-S istex:18679FCAECF44EC0C22591057AD5C2A1C7F23454 Address correspondence to Jon B. Christianson, Ph.D., Carlson School of Management, Department of Healthcare Management, University of Minnesota, 321 19th Avenue South, Suite 3‐159, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Stephen T. Parente, Ph.D., is with the Carlson School of Management, Department of Healthcare Management, University of Minnesota. Roger Feldman, Ph.D., is with the School of Public Health, Health Services Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. This article was originally a working paper presented at a conference on “Consumer‐Driven Health Care: Evidence from the Field,” in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2003. This project received financial support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's initiative on Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization. We also gratefully acknowledge the help provided by the administration of the University of Minnesota, and Ruth Taylor, Center for the Study of Healthcare Management, Carlson School of Management. ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 This article was originally a working paper presented at a conference on “Consumer-Driven Health Care: Evidence from the Field,” in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2003. This project received financial support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's initiative on Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization. We also gratefully acknowledge the help provided by the administration of the University of Minnesota, and Ruth Taylor, Center for the Study of Healthcare Management, Carlson School of Management. |
ISSN: | 0017-9124 1475-6773 |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2004.00278.x |