HMO surveys: The whole story?
HMOs are a frequent target for criticism, but they received some good news from consumers recently.
Consumers in eight major U.S. cities report high satisfaction with their HMO, according to a survey conducted by Illinois-based Sachs/ Scarborough/Health Plus.
In Boston, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Denver, approximately 85% of the respondents reported being satisfied. In Detroit, Columbus, Sacramento, and San Francisco, 80% said they were happy with their HMOs.
These figures contradict recent reports of consumer complaints about the current health care system, as well as a movement in Boston by a group of physicians. These physicians are now circulating a petition through hospitals and doctor’s offices demanding an end to for-profit takeovers of medical facilities and an open discussion about what they call the deterioration of quality in the health care system in Massachusetts.
Results of the Sachs/Scarborough survey add credence to the doctors’ claims. The two areas in which HMOs suffer in the ratings is in hospital quality and emergency care. About half of patients in all markets expressed dissatisfaction with HMO emergency care, and many patients in New York, Atlanta, and Miami complained about HMO hospital quality.
Also, respondents in Florida, home to many elderly retirees, were among those least satisfied with HMOs overall and with the quality of doctors in particular. About one-third of residents in Orlando, Tampa, and Miami say they’re dissatisfied with the roster of HMO physicians.
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