Minnesota Insurers' Web Sites Allow Members To Post Comments About Physicians, Hospitals

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 19 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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Several Minnesota health insurance companies have launched Web sites that encourage consumers to post comments about their experiences with health care providers in the insurers' networks, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The sites -- including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's healthcarescooop.com, Medica's mainstreetmedica.com, and sites by HealthPartners and PreferredOne -- are "part of a broader effort" by the state's health care organizations to "empower consumers" and allow them to make more effective health care choices, the Pioneer Press reports. MaryAnn Stump, a BCBS Minnesota executive in charge of the subsidiary that runs the Web site, said, "We heard from consumers, over and over again, 'I don't pay attention to things like patient satisfaction information, those data. I really want to hear from people like me.'"

According to Sanne Magnan, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, what consumers "really want to know is, can I get a doctor and clinic who cares about me, and who can I have a good experience with?" She added that doctors likely will use consumer evaluations to gauge patients' reactions to their performance. Some sites offer price information and quality of care statistics information, as well (Olson, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12/17).

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