A new data brief examines the consumer ‘window shopping’ experience on healthcare.gov and state exchange websites, finding consumer decision support tools have improved since the first open enrollment period, but are still insufficient. The brief, prepared by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, looked at the structure of each website in supporting a consumer’s decision-making experience based on their personal needs and preferences.
The researchers simulated a typical shopping experience on each marketplace, identifying 25 aspects for comparison. Researchers found that none of the marketplaces offer consumers a personalized total cost estimate—the sum of premiums and estimated out-of-pocket expenses—or a smart organization of plans according to preferences. Just six marketplaces have a tool that allows consumers to find all participating plans for a given provider.
“Clearly consumers need better support in order to make good choices,” said Kathy Hempstead, who directs coverage issues at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Health insurance is a relatively complicated product, and good decision support tools are essential to helping consumers wade through their numerous options and make the choice that is best for them.”
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