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HMO Web sites: what do they tell consumers?
1Health Services Administration Program, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA.
Managed Care Quarterly
|January 9, 2001
Summary
Most health maintenance organization (HMO) websites offer details on customer service and provider networks, but lack crucial pricing information. Quality data is available on two-thirds of sites, yet price transparency remains a significant gap for consumers.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Health Informatics
- Consumer Health Information
Background:
- Managed care organizations (MCOs) are increasingly prevalent in healthcare.
- Limited understanding exists regarding the online presence and content of health maintenance organization (HMO) websites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the content of websites for the 25 largest U.S. HMOs.
- To determine if websites provide consumer-prioritized information: quality, price, provider network, personal health data, and customer service.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of the websites of the 25 largest U.S. HMOs.
- Categorization of website content based on predefined consumer-important features.
Main Results:
- HMO websites show variability in content, with common features including customer service, provider networks, and personal health information.
- While two-thirds of sites offer quality information, only four provide pricing details.
- Significant gaps exist in the availability of healthcare pricing information online.
Conclusions:
- HMO websites currently vary in their provision of essential consumer information.
- Future differentiation strategies for HMO websites should address the lack of pricing transparency.
- Enhancing online content related to healthcare costs is crucial for informed consumer choice.