At the same time, the Health Care Financing Administration is moving to ensure that Medicare recipients are offered an array of health plan options. For the market mechanism to work, consumers must have reliable information comparing health plans and service providers. As the Institute of Medicine stated in a 1996 report on federal efforts to expand choices for Medicare recipients, Without adequate, comparable and timely information, it is not possible to exercise informed choice. In fits and starts, Americans are developing an information system to meet this need. A number of private consulting firms also rate health plans on behalf of large employers.
Some tools also help people assess individual providers.
The American Medical Association maintains a database on the training, specialties, and board certification of many doctors. Similarly, the American Board of Medical Specialties informs consumers on its Web site and via a toll-free telephone number whether a doctor is board certified. Public disclosure of quality measures can make a difference. Within one year of the time the Missouri Department of Health published a consumer report on obstetrical services, for instance, half of all hospitals in the state had taken action to reduce their rate of Cesarean-section births and address other issues. Many people want to be more than passive consumers of health services.