Choice Card: A Model for Health Plan Selection

We will develop and test a model by which health plan report card information is disseminatedto publicly-sponsored consumers to use in selecting health care systems/plans. The model willincorporate a decision-making paradigm enabling Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries to integratepersonal values/preferences, medical histories, etc. with features of health plans. Model developmentwill use both primary and secondary research methods, expert consultants, and advisory council withrepresentative stakeholders and leaders in health care plan reform, and a consortium of regional healthplan and HMO administrators. Primary research will include focus groups, computer programmingdesign, and testing. Deliverables for Phase I are (1) a model, tested and endorsed by advisory counciland consortium; (2) a report on consumer satisfaction using the model and a critical set of value featuresrelevant to different demographic groups.