New Yorkers tend to rate their health-maintenance organizations (HMOs) somewhat more highly than consumers nationwide, according to a new report designed to help employers and employees to evaluate New York HMOs on a variety of criteria.
The report is the fifth annual "report card" on HMOs prepared by the New York State Health Accountability Foundation, a private-public partnership dedicated to improving the quality of health care. The report, which was released July 8, measured the change over time in the performance of New York's 23 commercial health plans.
"By providing data from more than one year, we have been able to illustrate for the first time where improvement is actually taking place," said Anthony Shih, vice president for quality improvement at IPRO. IPRO, a not-for-profit corporation specializing in assessing and improving health-care services, founded founder of the Health Accountability Foundation along with the New York Business Group on Health and a number of major New York employers.
The report found that:
- On average, more than 78 percent of New Yorkers rate their personal physician or nurse favorably, compared to a national average of 75 percent.
- Eighty-one percent of New Yorkers do not encounter significant difficulties in obtaining care. Nationally, only 78 percent of the population makes the same claim.
- New York HMOs have low physician turnover rates. Ninety-three percent of HMO doctors choose to stay within the plan. The national average is slightly lower, at 92 percent.
"Whether you are talking about member satisfaction or care for serious illnesses, having this performance data allows businesses and consumers to make informed health care choices," said Theodore O. Will, CEO of IPRO.
IPRO is an independent, not-for-profit corporation committed to assessing and improving the value of health care services received by consumers through the use of innovative methods and technologies.
The report is available at www.abouthealthquality.org.