Poor Consumer Comprehension and Plan Selection Inconsistencies Under the 2016 HealthCare.gov Choice Architecture.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many health policy experts have endorsed insurance competition as a way to reduce the cost and improve the quality of medical care. In line with this approach, health insurance exchanges, such as HealthCare.gov, allow consumers to compare insurance plans online. Since the 2013 rollout of HealthCare.gov, administrators have added features intended to help consumers better understand and compare insurance plans. Although well-intentioned, changes to exchange websites affect the context in which consumers view plans, or choice architecture, which may impede their ability to choose plans that best fit their needs at the lowest cost.

Methods

By simulating the 2016 HealthCare.gov enrollment experience in an online sample of 374 American adults, we examined comprehension

SUBMITTER: Wang AZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5993195 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature