Health Plan Choice: Findings from the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey

20 Pages Posted: 20 Jul 2012

See all articles by Paul Fronstin

Paul Fronstin

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

Abstract

This paper explores differences in health-plan choice using data from the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey as well as earlier versions of the survey. It examines the likelihood of having a choice of plans and how that is changing over time; the main reasons for choosing a plan; and how demographics, health status and health behaviors vary by plan type among those with a choice of health plans. Satisfaction with various aspects of health care is also examined by plan type among individuals with a choice of health plans. Most Americans get their health insurance coverage from employment-based plans, yet most employers do not offer a choice of health plans. In 2011, 84 percent of employers offering health benefits offered only one health plan; 15 percent offered two choices; and 1 percent offered three or more choices. Large firms were more likely to offer a choice of health plans than small firms; 42 percent of large firms offered two or more choices, compared with 15 percent of smaller firms. As a result, nearly one-half (47 percent) of covered workers had a choice of health plans, and according to the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, 59 percent of adults 21-64 with employment-based health coverage had a choice of health plans. Consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) enrollees are more likely than individuals with traditional coverage to have a choice of health plans, and the availability of health plan choice is trending upward for CDHP enrollees, although not for those enrolled in traditional plans. Among individuals with a choice of health plans, CDHP enrollees tend to have higher incomes and higher education than individuals with traditional coverage; they are also less likely to be obese; and they are less likely to be satisfied with many aspects of their health plan. Among individuals with a choice of health plans, those opting for CDHPs are more likely to cite cost factors, but also more likely to express dissatisfaction with the cost of prescription drugs and out-of-pocket costs for other health care. Additionally, they were less likely to be satisfied with the program overall.

The PDF for the above title, published in the July 2012 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another July 2012 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Own-to-Rent Transitions and Changes in Housing Equity for Older Americans.”

Keywords: Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), Employment-based benefits, Health care attitudes and opinions, Health insurance attitudes and opinions, Health insurance coverage, Health status, High-deductible health plans (HDHPs)

JEL Classification: I1, I11, J3, J32

Suggested Citation

Fronstin, Paul, Health Plan Choice: Findings from the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey. EBRI Notes, Vol. 33, No. 7, p. 10, July 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2113666

Paul Fronstin (Contact Author)

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) ( email )

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