Elaborating a dichtomous measure of enrollment choice: HMOs vs FFS plans.
The objective of this study is to make health insurance plans more responsive to the needs of people by identifying plan characteristics that are important to consumers during their enrollment decisions. Employees from three companies were surveyed. Factor analysis indicated four dimensions of plans that are important to consumers: cost, freedom, quality, and psychosocial access. Among characteristics that described the "cost dimension" of plans, unpredictable out-of-pocket costs was the most important. Among characteristics that described the "freedom" dimension of plans, freedom to go to any doctor without authorization from the primary care physician was most important.
Thomas
Leela
L
School of Social Work, Rhyne Hall, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA. lethomas@ou.edu
D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations