title: Do content and format affect older consumers' use of comparative information in a Medicare health plan choice? Results from a controlled experiment.
abstract: We assessed the efficacy of materials that integrated comparative information on cost, benefits, and quality for employer-based retiree health plans and Medicare Advantage plans in a randomized experiment to test the impact of content and format. Results indicate that older consumers who received the intervention materials found the materials easier to use, gained greater knowledge about Medicare from them, were more likely to value comparative quality information, were more likely to select higher quality plans, and were more likely to choose a plan that reflected the dimensions they found most important compared to older consumers receiving the control materials.
authors.affiliation: RTI International.
authors.forename: Jennifer D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Uhrig
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harris-Kojetin
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bann
authors.forename: Tzy-Mey
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D032882:Comprehension; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003626:Data Display; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000145:classification* / Q000592:standards; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000145:classification* / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D009922:Oregon; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics*