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Quality is hard to measure, but more and more information
is becoming available. There are certain things you can look for and questions
you can ask.
Whatever kind of plan you are considering, you can check
out individual doctors and hospitals. For doctors, see
"Tips on Choosing a Doctor."
Many managed care plans are regulated by Federal and State
agencies. Indemnity plans are regulated by State insurance commissions. Your
State Department of Health or insurance commission can tell you about any plan
you are interested in.
You can also find out if the managed care plan you are interested in has been
"accredited," meaning that it meets certain standards of independent
organizations.
Some States require accreditation if plans serve special groups, such as people
in Medicaid. Some employers will only contract with plans that are accredited.
Several national organizations review and accredit plans and institutions. You
can contact these organizations to see if a plan you are considering, or an
institution in the plan, is accredited.
Another approach is to ask the plan how it ensures good medical care. Does the
plan review the qualifications of doctors before they are added to the plan?
Plans are supposed to review the care that is given by their doctors and
hospitals. How does the plan review its own services, and has it made changes to
correct problems? How does the plan resolve member complaints?
Some managed care plans survey members about their health care experiences. Ask
the plan for a report of the survey results.
Some plans and independent organizations are also beginning to produce "report
cards." These reports often include satisfaction survey results and other
information on quality, such as if a plan provides preventive care (for example,
shots for children and Pap smears for women) or if the plan follows up on test
results. Report cards may also include information on how many members stay in
or leave the plan, how many of the plan's doctors are board certified, or how
long you may have to wait for an appointment.
Report cards can only give you an idea of how a plan works and may not give a
full picture of a plan's quality. Ask plans if their activities have been
reported in report cards developed by outside groups (business or consumer
organizations).
Also keep any eye out for magazine articles that rate health plans.
Finally, you can talk to current members of the plan. Ask how they feel about
their experiences, such as waiting times for appointments, the helpfulness of
medical staff, the services offered, and the care received. If there are
programs for your particular condition, how are the patients in it doing?
Tips on
Choosing a Doctor
Your doctor will be your partner in care, so it is important to choose carefully
from the doctors available to you. In some managed care plans, you will
generally be limited to choosing from only certain doctors; in other plans, some
doctors may be "preferred," which means they are part of a network and you will
pay less if you use them. Ask your plan for a list or directory of providers.
The plan may also offer other help in choosing.
You can ask doctors you know, medical societies, friends, family, and coworkers
to recommend doctors. You may also contact hospitals and referral services about
doctors in your area.
Once you have the names of doctors who interest you, make sure they are
accepting new patients. Here's how to check doctors out:
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Ask plans and medical offices for information on their
doctors' training and experience.
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Look up basic information about doctors in the Directory of
Medical Specialists, available at your local library. This reference has
up-to-date professional and biographic information on about 400,000 practicing
physicians.
You may also want to find out:
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Is the doctor board certified? Although all doctors must be
licensed to practice medicine, some also are board certified. This means the
doctor has completed several years of training in a specialty and passed an
exam. Call the American Board of Medical Specialties at 800-776-2378 for more
information.
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Have complaints been registered or disciplinary actions
taken against the doctor? To find out, call your State Medical Licensing
Board. Ask Directory Assistance for the phone number.
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Have complaints been registered with your State department
of insurance? (Not all departments of insurance accept complaints.) Ask
Directory Assistance for the phone number.
Once you have narrowed your search to a few doctors, you
may want to set up "get acquainted" appointments with them. Ask what charge
there might be for these visits, if any. Such appointments give you a chance to
interview the doctors—for example, to find out if they have much experience with
any health conditions you may have.
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