Satisfaction with care: do Medicare HMOs make a difference?

Differences in satisfaction with care and perceptions of doctor/patient interactions were compared for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and beneficiaries in the fee-for-service (FFS) sector (nonenrollees). After controlling for covariates, beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with their care, regardless of where they received it. However, HMO enrollees were more likely than nonenrollees were to be very satisfied with the costs of care and with getting care at one location. In contrast, for every components-of-care measure, nonenrollees were more likely than HMO enrollees were to indicate high satisfaction with the quality of interaction with their physicians.