Seniors rank patient satisfaction scores more highly than clinical quality measures when choosing Medicare HMO plans, according to a study by the private, nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research. The study found that when seniors evaluated mandatory Medicare HMO report cards, they placed more weight on the comfort of the healthcare experience, such as condition of the waiting room and ease of parking, than on measures of disease screening and prevention. The report card scores did cause patients to switch among Medicare HMO plans but they were not instrumental in getting seniors to leave traditional Medicare for an HMO. The danger in seniors placing high importance on satisfaction scores is that plans may direct resources to maximize those scores rather than focus on patients with chronic conditions, says the study.
