The effectiveness of CAHPS among women enrolling in Medicaid managed care

The large-scale transition of public health insurance programs to managed care has shifted much of the responsibility for selecting appropriate coverage to beneficiaries--a role for which many have had little preparation. This study evaluates the impact of a CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study) health care report card in assisting newly enrolled Medicaid case heads in selecting a managed care plan. The major finding is that the CAHPS report card helped consumers make more informed decisions. Those who received the report cards found judging quality between plans easier, felt that they had significantly more information on which to make decisions, and recognized the importance of their decision more often than those receiving only standard enrollment packets.