Like many consumer-driven organizations, we do market research periodically to be sure we’re listening to consumers in a way that produces reliable and actionable information. But a recent consumer survey done by Fallon Community Health Plan provides some data that might help inform ongoing policy deliberations about the implementation of health care reform.
The bottom line: Consumers believe in choice.
They want the ability to choose in making health insurance decisions. They want lifestyle choices to be factored into health insurance costs. And they want more information so they can make informed choices.
The scientific survey, done by RKM Research and Communications, polled 605 consumers between the ages of 18 and 64 across FCHP’s Massachusetts service area from April 24 to May 7. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
Here are some highlights:
– Nearly two out of three consumers (62 percent) believe that health insurance premiums should be higher for people who make unhealthy lifestyle choices.
– Specifically, 65 percent think that smokers should pay more.
– A plurality of consumers — 48 percent versus 41 percent — say their health care decisions — such as choosing a procedure, a doctor or a hospital — would be different if they had more information about those services among different providers.
– The survey also found strong support among low-income consumers for a less expensive health plan with a limited provider network — something that Fallon Community Health Plan offers and that I have been pushing the Connector to make more available. Among people who make $30,000 or less, a whopping 72 percent say they would choose a limited network of high-performing doctors and hospitals if they could save 8 to 10 percent (our “Direct Care” option actually provides a 13 percent savings). Not surprisingly, there was less support for such an option among people who make more than $100,000. But its support from low-income people is particularly relevant in light of the individual mandate in the Health Care Reform Law requiring everyone to have insurance.
Individual choice, financial responsibility for one’s own choices, information to make better choices — these are all sound principles that we now know have support among consumers. Everyone involved in health care and health care policy should listen.
Eric H. Schultz is the President and CEO of Fallon Community Health Plan.
This “blog” site has become very tiresome as well as a great disappointment. How many other people are there who, like me, have a genuine interest in enacting sustainable health system reform, but don’t even bother to look at this site much anymore b/c it’s so obviously a mouthpiece for the insurance industry and their corporate profit margin-focused counterparts.
This HMO CEO entry is a case in point.
Re. “… Individual choice, financial responsibility for one’s own choices, information to make better choices — these are all sound principles that we now know have support among consumers. Everyone involved in health care and health care policy should listen.
Eric H. Schultz is the President and CEO of Fallon Community Health Plan. [a MA HMO]”
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There’s an urgent need to clarify the endless self-serving spin that Mr Schultz–and Kingsdale, Dreyfus, Moore, DiMasi, et al–sling our way. For honesty’s sake it should be pointed out that the most valued choice that people want (and please note that the discussion should be about “people”, not “consumers”) is the choice of physician, hospital, and outpatient health care facility, NOT the false “choice” of an expensive and poor value commercial insurance product!
Commercial profit-driven insurance products (and all the bureaucracy that exists around them) are the root cause of so much waste in our current health care system. Make no mistake, the current MA Chapter 58 law is not about reform of the system. But it is very much about selling more insurance products.
Health care should be focused on people’s health needs, not on bogus market-driven product “choices”.
For commonhealth readers who are interested in real reform solutions such as improved Medicare-for-All, please look over the website for the coalition Mass-Care that MA Health Care For All (led by Mr John McDonough) and 100 other state organizations are members of, at http://www.MassCare.org