Getting to No: Provider Directories are Missing a Key Use Case

While the subject of provider directory accuracy has received a great deal of attention, much less has been written about the user experience (UX) of provider directories.  As students of UX know, good design starts from a deep and empathetic understanding of the user’s goals and mindset; in the design process these are captured throughContinue reading “Getting to No: Provider Directories are Missing a Key Use Case”

Consumer Network ID – A Proposal for Helping Consumers Understand Coverage of Doctors They Care About

Consumers’ ability to make use of their health insurance depends heavily on their ability to see in-network doctors, as health plans generally offer limited or no coverage of care from providers outside their networks.  However, for a consumer to determine whether a particular doctor is in their plan’s network they must get through a processContinue reading “Consumer Network ID – A Proposal for Helping Consumers Understand Coverage of Doctors They Care About”

The Roles Of Assisters And Automated Decision Support Tools In Consumers’ Marketplace Choices: Room For Improvement

Assisters provide in-person and phone-based support to help consumers narrow their plan options on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplaces. We elicited the perspectives of a national sample of thirty-two assisters from ten states on consumer plan selection and available Marketplace decision support tools (for example, total cost estimators and provider network look-up tools).Continue reading “The Roles Of Assisters And Automated Decision Support Tools In Consumers’ Marketplace Choices: Room For Improvement”

Helping Consumers Choose Health Plans In Exchanges: Best Practice Recommendations

The Health Insurance Exchanges required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have the potential to create markets that will help millions of Americans get affordable health insurance coverage and access to high-quality care. The exchanges can enhance consumer and employer buying power to improve the overall quality and efficiency of the healthContinue reading “Helping Consumers Choose Health Plans In Exchanges: Best Practice Recommendations”

Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Expert Explains, Demonstrates Key Features of Health Plan Comparison Tool in Speech at the World Health Con

In an effort to educate health-care leaders about providing a well-designed, consumer-friendly health plan comparison tool as part of the health insurance Exchanges being developed under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Robert Krughoff, president of nonprofit Consumers’ CHECKBOOK, recently spoke at the World Health Congress on Health Insurance Exchanges and demonstrated key features ofContinue reading “Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Expert Explains, Demonstrates Key Features of Health Plan Comparison Tool in Speech at the World Health Con”