Disenrollment information and Medicare plan choice: is more information better?
To help Medicare beneficiaries and their intermediaries select the best health plan, CMS publicly reports comparative plan information. Using a laboratory version of Medicare Health Plan Compare that involved a simulated plan choice by 359 Medicare intermediaries, we experimentally investigated plan recommendations with and without disenrollment information and time constraints for viewing materials. Results indicated that the presence of disenrollment information reduced time spent on other measures of plan performance. It also reduced decision quality for less educated intermediaries. Designers and sponsors of consumer-oriented materials should recognize that more information is not always better.
Spranca
Mark D
MD
Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA 02420, USA. spranca@abtassoc.com
Elliott
Marc N
MN
Shaw
Rebecca
R
Kanouse
David E
DE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D032882:Comprehension; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States