As we already mentioned, the freedom to see a specific doctor is very important to many people. It may even be some people's primary reason for selecting a particular plan. Assessing the quality of managed-care plans is still a new field. No one has all the answers, but several indicators of quality can help in your decision. Board certification .
Board certification is a sign that doctors are highly trained in their fields.
Plan accreditation . Report cards . Some employers, independent quality assurance organizations, and HMOs are publishing quality reports on HMOs. These report cards usually measure the effectiveness of the HMO's doctors in preventing medical problems or detecting problems early. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction surveys allow you to judge quality based on many people's experiences.