EBRI/Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Care Survey, 2006
Award Amount:
$132,900
Approval Date:
July 11, 2006
Start Date:
July 1, 2006
End Date:
January 31, 2007
Employee Benefit Research Institute
2121 K Street, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, Dist. of Columbia 20037-1896
Principal Investigator:
Paul Fronstin, Ph.D.
The 2005 EBRI/Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Care Survey found that enrollees in high-deductible and "consumer-driven" health plans were, in several respects, less satisfied with their coverage than people with comprehensive health insurance. Plan members were also more likely to avoid or delay needed care, had high out-of-pocket costs relative to income, and lacked necessary information about the price and quality of providers. Along with assessing trends in consumer-driven plan enrollment, the 2006 Consumerism in Health Care Survey will ask enrollees about their prior insurance coverage and reasons for joining, whether they have an employer-funded health savings account, whether preventive or chronic disease care is excluded from deductibles, and whether they receive plan information on provider quality and cost. The survey will also assess these plans' impact on care utilization. Findings will inform not only federal and state policymakers but employers that are considering such plans for their benefit programs. Cofunding will be provided by IBM, Proctor & Gamble, and Pfizer.