02338cam a2200397 i 4500 rnd000000000047166 RAND 920212s1981 cau b 000 0 eng d 81011897 0833003429 RAND/R-2753-HHS (Sirsi) a188159 $20.00 CstmoR CstmoR n-us--- HG9396 .M27 1981 Marquis, M. Susan. author. Consumers' knowledge about their health insurance coverage / M. Susan Marquis. Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 1981. xii, 49 pages ; 23 cm text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia unmediated n rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier volume nc rdacarrier Health insurance experiment series "July 1981." Includes bibliographical references (p. 49). This report describes how much families know about their health insurance coverage and investigates whether consumer education and simplified benefit structures would improve knowledge. Families' perceptions about their insurance benefits were measured in two household surveys administered in six sites. Knowledge was assessed by comparing families' responses with policy data collected from the carrier. The vast majority of families understand insurance policies that specify one or two parameters in their benefit provisions. However, more complex payment structures are not well understood. Increased exposure to the plans' information leads to increased knowledge, suggesting that education programs could improve the general level of knowledge. The author concludes that if market strategies for allocating medical resources are pursued, simplifying insurance benefit structures and consumer education would aid consumers in making more informed economic choices about medical care. Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format. Description based on print version record. Consumers United States. Insurance, Health United States. Rand Corporation. United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Online Access http://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2753/ 597399 597399