Document Type
Article
Original Publication Date
2014
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Health Services Research
Volume
50
Issue
1
First Page
58
Last Page
80
DOI of Original Publication
10.1111/1475-6773.12181
Date of Submission
June 2015
Abstract
Objective
To investigate the determinants and quality of coverage decisions among uninsured choosing plans in a hypothetical health insurance marketplace.
Study Setting
Two samples of uninsured individuals: one from an Internet-based sample comprised largely of young, healthy, tech-savvy individuals (n = 276), and the other from low-income, rural Virginians (n = 161).
Study Design
We assessed whether health insurance comprehension, numeracy, choice consistency, and the number of plan choices were associated with participants' ability to choose a cost-minimizing plan, given their expected health care needs (defined as choosing a plan costing no more than $500 in excess of the total estimated annual costs of the cheapest plan available).
Data Collection
Primary data were collected using an online questionnaire.
Principal Findings
Uninsured who were more numerate showed higher health insurance comprehension; those with more health insurance comprehension made choices of health insurance plans more consistent with their stated preferences; and those who made choices more concordant with their stated preferences were less likely to choose a plan that cost more than $500 in excess of the cheapest plan available.
Conclusions
Increasing health insurance comprehension and designing exchanges to facilitate plan comparison will be critical to ensuring the success of health insurance marketplaces.
Rights
© Health Research and Educational Trust. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Barnes, A. J., Hanoch, Y. and Rice, T. (2015), Determinants of Coverage Decisions in Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumers' Decision-Making Abilities and the Amount of Information in Their Choice Environment. Health Services Research, 50: 58–80. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12181, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12181. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Is Part Of
VCU Healthcare Policy and Research Publications
Comments
Funding: Funding was provided in part by VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission Grant #2585.