Meeting Enrollees' Needs: How Do Medicare and Employer Coverage Stack Up?
May 12, 2009
Authors: Karen Davis, Ph.D., Stuart Guterman, Michelle M. Doty, Ph.D., and Kristof M. Stremikis
Journal: Health Affairs Web Exclusive, May 12, 2009, w521–w532
Contact: Michelle M. Doty, Director of Survey Research, The Commonwealth Fund,
mmd@cmwf.org
Summary Writers: Tammy Worth
Synopsis
In a national Commonwealth Fund survey, elderly Medicare beneficiaries reported greater overall satisfaction with their health coverage, better access to care, and fewer problems paying medical bills than people covered by employer-sponsored plans. The findings bolster the argument that offering a public insurance plan similar to Medicare to the under-65 population has the potential to improve access and reduce costs.
About the Study
The authors used data from the Commonwealth Fund 2007 Biennial Health Insurance Survey to compare how patients felt about access and cost under Medicare and employer-sponsored plans. Princeton Survey Research Associates International conducted the survey by telephone with adults in the United States over age 19. The survey response rate was 47 percent. The 25-minute phone interview included questions about health care access, out-of-pocket spending, benefit information, and demographic characteristics.