Aetna Consumer Survey Shows Confusion When Selecting a Health Insurance Plan
December 01 2011 - 12:33PM
Business Wire
As millions of people across the country finalize their benefits
choices for 2012, Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced results of a
consumer survey showing that more than half of insured adults are
confused with several important aspects related to choosing a
health insurance plan. Aetna has enhanced and completely redesigned
the Plan for Your Health website to simplify the often complicated
information available on health benefits, and help consumers better
understand how to choose, use and get the most from their health
benefits.
According to the survey of more than 1,000 insured adults1, many
individuals had trouble understanding:
- the total cost of a health insurance
plan – the premiums plus out-of-pocket expenses (32 percent);
- the differences between plan types such
as Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Health Maintenance
Organizations (HMOs) (30 percent);
- which providers are in network (26
percent); and
- whether referrals are needed (24
percent).
The redesigned Plan for Your Health site includes information
that can help consumers make health benefits decisions during Open
Enrollment, such as the Navigating Your Health Benefits For
Dummies® guide, 3rd edition, which was produced in partnership with
the Financial Planning Association, the largest membership
organization of personal financial planning experts in the U.S.
More than 300,000 consumers have used free copies of the guide over
the past five years, and the 3rd edition includes tips on how to
maximize health benefits in a tough economy, as well as information
on the health care reform law.
“We know that health insurance can be confusing, but the Plan
for Your Health website can help,” said Wendy A. Richards, MD, MBA,
FAAP, a National Medical Director for Aetna, and co-author of
Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies. “The site has
information and tools that can help everybody better understand
their health benefits, no matter their age or how much they already
know about health insurance.”
Other improvements to the site include:
- A wide range of health-related articles
from Aetna InteliHealth®. Harvard Medical School is one of the
primary content partners for Aetna InteliHealth and contributes the
health-related content featured on Plan for Your Health.
- Updated information on options for
Medicare beneficiaries. This information is particularly important
now, as the Medicare Annual Enrollment period ends on December 7,
which is several weeks earlier than in previous years.
Providing Help Throughout the Year
While many people make decisions on their health insurance plans
during Open Enrollment, they also use health care services
throughout the year. In addition to the Plan for Your Health
website, Aetna offers members a number of tools to help them get
the most out of their health benefits.
One popular tool for Aetna members is the Member Payment
Estimator, with more than 67,000 hits per month in 2011. The Member
Payment Estimator provides real-time cost estimates for in-network
and out-of-network care for more than 500 commonly used,
non-emergency health care services. This level of detail – a first
for health plan members – gives members a more complete picture of
the costs involved and helps people better plan for and budget for
health care.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a
report regarding the transparency of health care costs, and the
Member Payment Estimator was recognized as the only tool from a
private health insurance company that “provides estimates of a
consumer’s complete cost.” Additional information on the Member
Payment Estimator is available on the Aetna website, or through a
case study from Forrester Research.
Other tools and resources available to Aetna members
include:
- Aetna’s Mobile App, available for
iPhone, Android and Blackberry users. The Aetna Mobile app puts
some of the company’s most popular online features at our member’s
fingertips. Using the app, members can search for a doctor,
dentist, hospital or pharmacy, getting turn-by-turn directions to
the office they select with their smartphone’s GPS; view ID card
information; get an estimate of prescription drug costs before
filling a prescription based on coverage and benefits; and access a
virtual ID card.
- “Ask Ann,” the company’s virtual online
assistant that provides members with personalized guidance to find
health benefits information. “Ann” is available through Aetna
Navigator, Aetna’s secure member website, and is helping more than
20,000 members a day through online chats. To take a tour of Aetna
Navigator or see a demonstration of Ann, visit
http://www.aetna.com/individuals-families-health-insurance/tool/tour-index.html.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 36.3 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance
products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental,
behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical
management capabilities and health care management services for
Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals,
college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans,
governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and
expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
About Plan for Your Health
Plan for Your Health, a public education campaign from Aetna and
the Financial Planning Association, gives consumers the information
they need to make health benefits and financial choices that meet
their needs now and in the future. The Web site is organized by
lifestage – young adults, getting married, family life, living
single, and retirement – and offers consumer-friendly tools, tips
and content that support well-informed decision-making.
www.PlanforYourHealth.com
1 Survey Methodology
These findings are from a telephone survey conducted by ORC
International October 20-24, 2011 among a random national sample of
2,031 adults, from which 1,009 individuals with health
insurance other than Medicare or Medicaid were identified. The
margin of error for the sample of 1,009 is +/- 3 percent at the 95%
confidence level. Smaller sub-groups have a higher sampling error.
The survey was commissioned by Weber Shandwick on behalf of their
client, Aetna Inc.
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