Report: How to Talk to Consumers About High-Value Health Insurance

January 16 Webinar to discuss implications for Exchanges

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report, Value Judgment: Helping Health Care Consumers Use Quality and Cost Information, summarizes what the California HealthCare Foundation and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) learned when they asked consumer focus groups about the cost and quality information consumers want when choosing health plans.

State health insurance Exchanges, consumer advocates, health plans and other stakeholders can use the report findings to provide consumers with relevant, understandable information about their insurance options.

A January 16 Webinar will discuss the research findings and what they mean for American health care. Highlights include:

• The notion that better health care is more expensive is difficult, but not impossible, to overcome. Consumers can be educated that the adage “you get what you pay for” does not always apply in health care; it is not necessary to trade high quality for lower cost.
• When given information about cost and quality and introduced to the idea that high-value health care means getting the best care for the best price, consumers consider the value of health care in the same way as they consider the value of other goods and services they buy.
• Uninsured consumers are particularly eager to obtain value information. This finding is pertinent to Exchanges because previously uninsured consumers will be a significant portion of those shopping for coverage in the Exchange marketplace.

WEBINAR

WHEN:	Wednesday, January 16, 2013
	2:00–3:00 p.m. ET
WHERE:	WebEx virtual meeting
	1. Connect to http://bit.ly/X4zClG.
	2. Locate the event: Consumer Voices on Health Care Cost and Quality.
	3. Enter your information and click JOIN.
	4. Enter the password: Quality101.
	5. Establish your phone connection by calling 866-469-3239.
	6. Enter the conference code: 667-842-866.
	7. If you have trouble connecting, call 866-229-3239, Option 1.
WHO:	Journalists, regulators, insurers, consumer activists and others interested in Americans’ receiving the best care for their health care dollars are encouraged to attend.
	Phyllis Torda, Vice President, Strategic and Quality Solutions Group, NCQA, will begin the presentation and moderate the Q&A period.
	Jennifer Lenz, Assistant Vice President, Quality Solutions Group, NCQA, will summarize the research and its implications for various stakeholders.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION

The California HealthCare Foundation works as a catalyst to fulfill the promise of better health care for all Californians. The organization supports ideas and innovations that improve quality, increase efficiency and lower the costs of care.

ABOUT NCQA

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS^®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.