Insurance Plan Presentation and Decision Support on HealthCare.gov and State-Based Web Sites Created for the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Charlene A. Wong, Gabbie Nirenburg, Daniel Polsky, Robert Town, Tom Baker
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Letters18 August 2015Insurance Plan Presentation and Decision Support on HealthCare.gov and State-Based Web Sites Created for the Affordable Care ActCharlene A. Wong, MD, MSHP, Gabbie Nirenburg, JD, MS, Daniel Polsky, PhD, Robert Town, PhD, and Tom Baker, JDCharlene A. Wong, MD, MSHPFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author, Gabbie Nirenburg, JD, MSFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author, Daniel Polsky, PhDFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author, Robert Town, PhDFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author, and Tom Baker, JDFrom University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L15-5127 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established online marketplaces where consumers can compare and choose health insurance plans. However, selecting a plan is a complex task and marketplace conditions can influence consumers' choices (1, 2).Objective: To describe how insurance plans were presented and the availability of consumer decision aids.Methods: We examined HealthCare.gov and all state-based marketplace Web sites during the first and second open enrollment periods (1 October 2013 to 31 March 2014 and 15 November 2014 to 15 February 2015, respectively). We collected data that consumers would see while they were browsing before creating an ...References1. Johnson EJ, Hassin R, Baker T, Bajger AT, Treuer G. Can consumers make affordable care affordable? The value of choice architecture. PLoS One. 2013;8:e81521. [PMID: 24367484] doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081521 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Ubel PA, Comerford DA, Johnson E. Healthcare.gov 3.0—behavioral economics and insurance exchanges. N Engl J Med. 2015;372:695-8. [PMID: 25693008] doi:10.1056/NEJMp1414771 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. James AE, Gellad WF, Primack BA. Implications of new insurance coverage for access to care, cost-sharing, and reimbursement. JAMA. 2014;311:241-2. [PMID: 24337312] doi:10.1001/jama.2013.283150 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Pacific Business Group on Health. Consumer choice of health plan decision support rules for health exchanges: issue brief. Accessed at www.pbgh.org/storage/documents/PBGH_PlanChoiceBrief_Top5Rules_022113.pdf on 19 July 2015. Google Scholar5. Baicker K, Levy H. How narrow a network is too narrow? JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175:337-8. [PMID: 25559469] doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7763 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L15-0332. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byInformed Decision-making for Health Insurance Enrollment: Survey StudyCoverage of pharmacogenetic tests by private health insurance companiesThe Roles Of Assisters And Automated Decision Support Tools In Consumers’ Marketplace Choices: Room For ImprovementShopping on the Public and Private Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumer Decision Aids and Plan PresentationMoving Beyond Blind Men and Elephants: Providing Total Estimated Annual Costs Improves Health Insurance Decision MakingStakeholders’ perceptions of ways to support decisions about health insurance marketplace enrollment: a qualitative studyShow Me My Health PlansFor Third Enrollment Period, Marketplaces Expand Decision Support Tools To Assist ConsumersCorrection: Insurance Plan Presentation and Decision Support on HealthCare.gov and State-Based Web Sites Created for the Affordable Care Act 18 August 2015Volume 163, Issue 4Page: 327-328KeywordsDecision makingDisclosureHealth careHealth insuranceTaxes ePublished: 18 August 2015 Issue Published: 18 August 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...