Consumer responses to health plan report cards in two markets

BACKGROUND. Health plans can compete on quality when consumers have helpful information. Report cards strive to meet this need, but consumer responses have not been measured. OBJECTIVES. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare consumer respo nses to report cards in 2 markets, (2) to determine how personal characteri stics relate to exposure, and (3) to assess the perceived helpfulness of th e report cards. RESEARCH DESIGN. A postenrollment survey was used. SUBJECTS. The study included 784 employees of Monsanto (St Louis, 1996) and 670 employees of a health care purchasing cooperative (Denver, 1997). DEPENDENT MEASURES. The dependent measures were (1) exposure, specifically remembering the report card, and intensity of reading it and (2) perceived helpfulness in learning about plan quality and in deciding to stay or switc h. RESULTS. Except for remembering seeing the report card (Denver, 47%; St Lou is, 55%), the 2 groups did not differ. Forty percent read most or all of th e report card; 82% found the report helpful in learning about quality; and 66% found it helpful in deciding to stay or switch. Employees who used pati ent survey information in their plan decision were more likely to remember seeing the report card (odds ratio [OR], 4.85), to read it intensely (OR, 2 .84), and to find it helpful in learning about plan quality (:OR, 3.04) and deciding whether to stay or switch plans (OR, 2.64). CONCLUSIONS. Although the 2 samples differed markedly, their responses to r eport cards were similar. Exposure and helpfulness were related more to emp loyee preferences for the type of information than to their health care dec ision needs.