Medicare HMO Info Now on Internet
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- To help consumers comparison shop, Medicare is
posting new information on the Internet about private health plans
that enroll elderly and disabled Americans.
"This is the kind of information people get from a trusted friend or
neighbor. It's also health plans providing information about
themselves," Medicare Administrator Nancy-Ann DeParle said Monday.
Included are results of a consumer satisfaction survey, mailed about
a year ago and answered by about 100,000 people who use Medicare
health plans nationwide. They responded to questions such as whether
it's easy to communicate with their plan's doctors or get referrals
to specialists.
People who have left Medicare plans because of dissatisfaction or
for other reasons were not questioned, however. DeParle said
additional surveys will collect responses from those people starting
this fall.
The plans themselves provided additional, independently-audited
data, including what percentage of people received certain
preventative screenings or treatments for which they were eligible,
including mammograms for breast cancer detection and beta blocker
drugs for heart attack victims.
Previously, Medicare has published only a rundown of health plan
benefits and out-of-pocket fees.
Online, consumers can enter their zip code to get a comparison of
most plans available in their area. Some newer and very small health
plans are not yet included, but will be added in the future.
People who don't have access to the Internet may be able to get
printouts of the information from local agencies on aging, senior
citizen groups or state insurance counseling services. Next fall,
Medicare will mail it, in new booklets, to all beneficiaries.
About 15 percent of Medicare's 39 million beneficiaries so far have
chosen to enroll in private health plans, known as health
maintenance organizations or HMOs. In many parts of the country there
are several to pick from, while in other places none operate.
The plans get a fixed fee from the government to provide all the
care a patient needs. By contrast, Medicare directly pays individual
medical bills for other beneficiaries.
The new HMO comparisons are available at http:/www.Medicare.gov.
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