Health Plan Satisfaction

Commercial Payers See Promise in Diabetes Prevention Program

by Thomas Beaton

The Diabetes Prevention Program could offer commercial payers an impactful way to prevent chronic disease for beneficiaries, according to a new report from AHIP.   In 2012, AHIP recruited seven...

Only 22% of Medicare Advantage Customers Aware of Star Ratings

by Thomas Beaton

Only 22 percent of Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries are familiar with how star ratings work and increasing consumer awareness about star ratings would help beneficiaries choose high quality plans,...

How to Improve Cost Sharing to Enhance Chronic Disease Management

by Thomas Beaton

A tailored cost sharing program that helps beneficiaries pay for chronic disease care can reduce wasteful spending and increase access to chronic disease management services. However, relying on...

How to Address Medicare Advantage Beneficiary Disenrollment

by Thomas Beaton

Medicare Advantage is a growing market and an attractive opportunity for payers to offer quality plans to older beneficiaries.  Competition is increasing in the MA environment, and beneficiaries...

10% of Medicare Advantage Members Receive Chronic Care Reminders

by Thomas Beaton

Only 10 percent of Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medigap plan members receive chronic care management reminders,, according to a new survey from Healthmine. The CDC estimates that 70 percent of all...

About 90% of Large, Mid-Size Employers Offer Medical Benefits

by Thomas Beaton

Close to 90 percent of employees in large and mid-size private businesses are offered medical benefits, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Larger businesses tend to see...

How Do Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplemental Insurance Differ?

by Thomas Beaton

Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare supplemental insurance, or Medigap, are both intended to enhance the value of traditional Medicare coverage for seniors and other eligible beneficiaries. Both...

How Payers Can Succeed Under Updated 2019 HEDIS Measures

by Thomas Beaton

The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) provides 90 percent of America’s health plans with the ability to directly compare performance across the national stage....

Health Plan Cost Sharing, Deductibles Outpace Members’ Wage Growth

by Thomas Beaton

Health plan cost sharing and deductible spending have outpaced employee wage growth in the last ten years, according to data released by the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker. Employees’...

NCQA Updates, Adds HEDIS Performance Measures for Plan Year 2019

by Thomas Beaton

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has released updates to its HEDIS performance measures for plan year 2019. The refresh includes several new measures to guide population health...

Highmark BCBS Saves $260M Using Value-Based Reimbursement

by Thomas Beaton

Highmark BlueCross BlueShield has saved $260 million in avoidable care costs by using value-based reimbursement and provider performance standards to hold healthcare organizations accountable for...

Can Retail Clinics Improve Patient Access, Reduce Costs for Payers?

by Thomas Beaton

Retail clinics are gaining in popularity among patients looking for quick, convenient care for minor ailments. Kiosks and no-appointment-needed offices located in corner pharmacies and big box stores...

How to Drive Enrollment in the ACA Health Plan Marketplaces

by Thomas Beaton

Payers and states wishing to increase enrollment in the ACA health plan marketplaces should  create targeted advertisements, benchmark silver-tier plans as their primary exchange plan, and help...

Customer Satisfaction with Medicare Advantage Health Plans Remain Low

by Thomas Beaton

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are not meeting their customer satisfaction goals, and tend to leave consumers feeling less-than-pleased with the way health plans communicate and the availability of...

Narrow Networks, Customer Satisfaction Contain Payer Spending

by Thomas Beaton

Payers can curb spending on medical care by investing in narrow networks and customer satisfaction tools, says a new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Health Research Institute (HRI) analysis. PwC found...

Beneficiaries Want More Holistic Health, Wellness Benefit Options

by Thomas Beaton

Health plan beneficiaries are increasing their demand for holistic health and wellness benefits, which can help payers deliver value and improve outcomes, according to a new report from Aetna. The...

Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan Name Atul Gawande Healthcare CEO

by Thomas Beaton

Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase have named Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, as the CEO of their joint healthcare company. The company will be...

Customer Service is Primary Driver of Health Plan Satisfaction

by Thomas Beaton

Health plan members are seeking high-quality customer service experiences from their insurers, and will use positive interactions to make decisions about continued loyalty, according to a new Forrester...

How Payers Identify, Succeed in Health Plan Market Opportunities

by Thomas Beaton

Healthcare payers that wish to be known as innovators need to continually be on the lookout for emerging health plan market opportunities that offer strong profit potential. Payers need to monitor...

Adding Telehealth, Remote Care Benefits into Health Plan Options

by Thomas Beaton

Payers that include telehealth and remote care benefits in their health plan options could position themselves as leaders in health plan value, convenience, and innovation. Health plans are challenged...