HCFA is developing a satisfaction survey for beneficiaries in Original Medicare. The questions are being developed to allow you to make valid comparisons between the experience of beneficiaries in Original Medicare and those in Medicare managed care. Additionally, we plan to develop a disenrollment survey to collect important information about why beneficiaries choose to leave Medicare managed care plans. Choosing a managed care plan is an important decision. You may consider the cost of care, the choice of doctors, whether your doctor is in the plan, and the plan's location and hours.
Quality varies among managed care plans.
Some managed care plans and the doctors they work with simply do a better job than others of helping you stay healthy and getting you better if you are ill. Luckily, quality can be measured and it can be improved. Choosing between Medicare Managed Care and Original Medicare also is an important decision. HCFA is committed to providing quality and satisfaction information on Original Medicare as well as Medicare Managed Care and currently is looking into several different ways of doing this. HCFA collects quality information from managed care plans on the health care that they provide.