Making informed decisions about Medicare coverage is crucial for beneficiaries. With over 60 million individuals enrolled in 2019, navigating the complexities of Medicare can be daunting. Beneficiaries must choose between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, and within these categories, numerous options exist. The Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) website, managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is intended to be a key tool for beneficiaries to compare these Medicare programs and make informed choices about their health and prescription drug coverage. However, recent findings indicate significant usability and information gaps within MPF that hinder effective comparison of Medicare options.
Usability Challenges within Medicare Plan Finder
Stakeholders, research studies, and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) directors have consistently pointed out the difficulties beneficiaries face when using the Medicare Plan Finder. A primary concern is the website’s complex navigation. Beneficiaries are often required to click through multiple pages before accessing detailed plan information. Furthermore, the website lacks clear and prominent instructions, leaving many users struggling to locate the information they need. The use of complex terminology also contributes to user difficulty in understanding the presented information. These usability issues were confirmed in a survey of SHIP directors, who are on the front lines assisting beneficiaries with Medicare decisions.
According to the survey, a significant 73 percent of SHIP directors reported that Medicare beneficiaries experience difficulties in finding information on the MPF website. Even SHIP counselors, who are trained to assist with Medicare navigation, faced challenges, with 18 percent of directors reporting difficulties for them as well. This highlights a critical issue: the very tool designed to simplify Comparing Medicare Programs is proving difficult to use for a large portion of its intended audience.
Information Gaps Limit Comparison of Medicare Programs
Beyond usability, the completeness of information provided by the Medicare Plan Finder is another significant concern. Stakeholders and SHIP directors have reported that MPF provides incomplete cost estimates for Original Medicare, which makes it challenging for beneficiaries to accurately compare Original Medicare with Medicare Advantage plans. Specifically, MPF’s plan results pages do not incorporate information about Medigap plans. Medigap plans are designed to supplement Original Medicare by helping to cover out-of-pocket costs such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
The absence of Medigap plan information within MPF is a major limitation when comparing medicare programs. A substantial 75 percent of surveyed SHIP directors indicated that this lack of Medigap data significantly restricts beneficiaries’ ability to make a fair comparison between Original Medicare and MA plans. Without a clear picture of potential Medigap costs and benefits, beneficiaries are unable to fully assess the financial implications of choosing Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage. This information gap undermines the purpose of MPF as a comprehensive tool for comparing medicare programs.
CMS Initiatives to Redesign Medicare Plan Finder
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledges the challenges beneficiaries encounter with the current Medicare Plan Finder. In response to these concerns, CMS is undertaking a redesign of the website, with an initial launch planned for August 2019. This redesign process is described as iterative, involving multiple phases of changes and continuous user testing. CMS anticipates that these ongoing efforts will lead to a more user-friendly and informative platform.
The success of the redesigned MPF in addressing user needs and improving the process of comparing medicare programs will be evaluated after beneficiaries have had the opportunity to use the updated website. It is hoped that these improvements will lead to a more effective tool that empowers beneficiaries to confidently navigate their Medicare options and make well-informed decisions about their healthcare coverage. Ensuring beneficiaries can easily compare medicare programs is essential for them to secure the coverage that best meets their individual health and financial needs.
