Amid significant scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators on Medicare Advantage (MA), a new report suggests consumer satisfaction with these plans is notably higher than with commercial insurance.
Consumer insights firm J.D. Power released its annual Medicare Advantage Study on Tuesday, which found that MA plans earn a score of 652 on a 1,000-point scale for consumer satisfaction. That's 87 points higher than commercial plans, according to the study.
The major factors driving this trend among members include provider choice, lower out-of-pocket costs and ease in finding care.
“The study shows that regional Medicare Advantage plans, on average, are outperforming commercial member health plans in overall customer satisfaction, and it is important to understand why,” said Christopher Lis, Ph.D., managing director of global healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power.
“It can be attributed to the top five drivers of satisfaction in the Medicare Advantage shopping experience, which are: preferred in-network doctors; adequate prescription drug coverage; preferred in-network hospitals and facilities; previous experience with a health plan; and existence of a copay," Lis said.
MA plans scored significantly higher scores on their ability to save members time and money, the ease of doing business, level of trust and the fact that product offerings and coverage met the enrollees' needs.
The study also found that overall scores are highest among large national carriers. However, the highest-performing individual regional plans—UPMC For Life, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Independence Blue Cross, Geisinger Gold and Priority Health Medicare—perform significantly better than the best performers among national plans.
Caitlin Moling, senior director of global healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power, said in the press release that seniors should consider several factors in choosing their coverage, including their current health status, their out-of-pocket costs and access to care.
"The more consumers know about what kinds of care they’re likely to need and the detailed coverage their health plan provides going into a contract, the better the experience they will likely have during the course of their relationship with that plan," Moling said.