HealthMine Survey: Just 31% of Medicare Plan Members Say They're Informed When Providers Drop Out of Network

DALLAS, Oct. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than one in three (31%) Medicare health plan members say their health plan informs them if a provider drops out of the health plan's provider network. Providers include hospitals, doctors, labs, and imaging centers.  And, just 17% of respondents said their health plan follows up with them on the quality of care after a provider visit.  The results are according to a HealthMine survey of 500 Medicare plan members.  

The survey also revealed that 86% of Medicare members said their doctor or other professional care provider knows them best to help manage their health.  However, 17% of respondents said that their health plan provides all health information to their doctor before a visit including prescriptions, medical history, and information collected from digital health tools.

Recently released HealthMine data showed that 77% of Medicare health plan members use digital health tools including blood pressure monitors, fitness trackers, medication/pill trackers and more.  However, only 9% say their plan integrates data from health tools.

Questions from Survey:
Q:  Does your plan notify you if your past or current providers drop out of your network (providers include hospitals, doctors, labs, and imaging centers)?

Q: Does your health plan interact with you after a provider visit?

Q:  Does your health plan provide all of your information to your doctor before a visit (prescriptions, medical history, information collected from your digital health tools, etc.)?

Q:  Which of the following do you think knows you best to help you manage your health?

Separately, an earlier HealthMine survey of 750 consumers age 64-years or younger enrolled in a sponsored insurance plan showed that 60% want more communication from their health plan that is not about bills.

According to Bryce Williams, president and CEO of HealthMine, "Health plans are the hub for all health information and data.  These data indicate that plans can improve communication with members, so members know when changes are made in the provider network.  For plans, they are much more than a claims processor – they are the center of every member's health information. In this central role, it's imperative to over deliver in communications to Medicare members and meet them on their terms. We have learned this in running advanced digital communication programs that include sophisticated call centers with millions of minutes on the phone guiding seniors in choosing health plans," he said.  

About the Survey
The HealthMine Medicare Plan Health Intelligence Survey queried 500 insured age 65+ consumers who are enrolled in a Medicare program. The survey was fielded by Survey Sampling International (SSI) in June/July 2017. Data were collected via an opt-in panel. The margin of error was 4%. Survey Sampling International (SSI) has been the Worldwide Leader in Survey Sampling and Data Collection Solutions, across every mode, for 37 Years.

About HealthMine
HealthMine is a leading healthcare technology company that delivers Health Intelligence for plan members and plan sponsors. HealthMine's cloud-based Health Intelligence Solution facilitates better health outcomes and lowers healthcare costs by providing: 1) insight into health status and risk, 2) clinical guidance on necessary health actions, 3) personalized motivation to close gaps in care and 4) measurement of outcomes. The Health Intelligence Solution derives business value from all clinical and lifestyle health data including data from existing wellness programs. HealthMine has more than 1 million users and has saved health plan sponsors more than $100 million in healthcare costs. HealthMine is on the web at www.healthmine.com.

SOURCE HealthMine

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