Aetna: Customers Still Confused About Selecting a Health Plan

December 02, 2011 at 10:19 AM
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According to a customer survey released today by Aetna—a Hartford,Connecticut-based provider of healthcare services—more than half of all insured adults do not fully understand certain important details to consider when choosing a health insurance plan.

Of the survey of more than 1,000 insured adults, many respondents did not fully understand one or more details such as cost, difference between plan types, networks and referrals.

Some 32% of respondents did not understand the total cost of their health insurance plan, including premiums plus out-of-pocket expenses.

Some 30% did not understand differences between plan types, such as Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).

Nearly a quarter (26%) did not know which of their providers are in network, and a like amount (24%) did not know whether referrals were needed.

Aetna released these results as it is promoting a variety of customer education initiatives, such as its newly updated Plan for Your Health informational website; a mobile app (iPhone/Android/Blackberry) that lets users search for providers, get directions to their offices and get prescription drug cost estimates; and a virtual online assistant to provide users with customized help for finding health benefits information.

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