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Differences between insurance organizations: do consumers perceive differences in important areas?
Delnoij, D.M.J., Hendriks, M., Brouwer, W., Spreeuwenberg, P. Differences between insurance organizations: do consumers perceive differences in important areas? European Journal of Public Health: 2006, 16(Suppl. 1) 35. Abstract. 14 th Eupha conference "Politics, Policies and /or the Public's Health", Montreux, 16-18 November 2006.
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Background: Competition on the insurance market assumes that insurance organizations differ in what they offer, that the consumers of insurance products perceive differences, and that information about differences is available in a transparent way. With the introduction of the insurance reform in The Netherlands efforts have been made to measure consumer evaluations of health insurance plans and to provide this information to consumers. Methods: In the summer of 2005, questionnaires were sent to ±31 000 insured (net response rate 45%). The questionnaire was based on a combination of the CAHPS (developed in the United States) and the QUOTE (developed in The Netherlands). Multilevel analysis was used to correct for case-mix differences between insurance organizations. Results: People’s experiences with health care (contracted by their health insurance organization) did not correlate between respondents with the same insurance organization. However, their experience with service levels of their insurance organization did cluster (ICC up to 9% for ease of access by telephone). In our presentation, we will relate this to the aims of the health insurance reform and to the importance that consumers attach to different aspects of their insurer’s performance. Conclusions: Currently consumers mainly perceive differences in service levels and premiums and not in the quality of care contracted. Consumers expect that in the future the insurance law will affect premiums and service but less so the purchasing activities of insurers and the quality of care they contract.(aut. ref.)
Background: Competition on the insurance market assumes that insurance organizations differ in what they offer, that the consumers of insurance products perceive differences, and that information about differences is available in a transparent way. With the introduction of the insurance reform in The Netherlands efforts have been made to measure consumer evaluations of health insurance plans and to provide this information to consumers. Methods: In the summer of 2005, questionnaires were sent to ±31 000 insured (net response rate 45%). The questionnaire was based on a combination of the CAHPS (developed in the United States) and the QUOTE (developed in The Netherlands). Multilevel analysis was used to correct for case-mix differences between insurance organizations. Results: People’s experiences with health care (contracted by their health insurance organization) did not correlate between respondents with the same insurance organization. However, their experience with service levels of their insurance organization did cluster (ICC up to 9% for ease of access by telephone). In our presentation, we will relate this to the aims of the health insurance reform and to the importance that consumers attach to different aspects of their insurer’s performance. Conclusions: Currently consumers mainly perceive differences in service levels and premiums and not in the quality of care contracted. Consumers expect that in the future the insurance law will affect premiums and service but less so the purchasing activities of insurers and the quality of care they contract.(aut. ref.)