Choosing the right Medicare plan is a critical decision for over 60 million beneficiaries in 2019, impacting their healthcare costs and access to services. The Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) website, administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is designed to be the primary tool for beneficiaries to compare their coverage options. However, a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals significant usability issues and incomplete information within MPF, hindering beneficiaries’ ability to effectively compare Medicare plans. This analysis, based on stakeholder feedback and surveys of State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) directors, highlights the difficulties users face when navigating MPF and understanding the available Medicare choices.
Usability Issues Plague the Medicare Plan Finder
The GAO report underscores that beneficiaries encounter substantial difficulties in using the Medicare Plan Finder website. Stakeholders, research studies, and SHIP directors consistently reported that the site’s design and information presentation are not user-friendly. Specifically, finding essential details about Medicare plans requires navigating through numerous pages, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming. Furthermore, the website lacks clear and prominent instructions to guide users, leaving many feeling lost and confused. The complexity of the language used throughout MPF also poses a significant barrier, with beneficiaries struggling to comprehend the terms and information presented.
In a survey conducted by GAO, a striking 73 percent of SHIP directors indicated that beneficiaries experience difficulties in finding information on the Medicare Plan Finder. Even those assisting beneficiaries, SHIP counselors, were reported to have challenges, with 18 percent of directors noting this issue. This widespread difficulty in navigating and understanding MPF directly undermines its intended purpose of aiding informed decision-making regarding Medicare coverage.
Alt text: Bar chart showing that 73% of State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) directors reported beneficiaries have difficulty finding information on the Medicare Plan Finder, and 18% reported SHIP counselors experience difficulty.
Incomplete Cost Estimates Hamper Plan Comparisons
Beyond usability, the Medicare Plan Finder suffers from providing incomplete cost information, particularly when comparing Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. A significant deficiency is the absence of Medigap plan information on MPF’s plan results pages. Medigap plans are crucial for beneficiaries in Original Medicare as they help cover out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Without integrating Medigap plan details, MPF presents an incomplete picture of the overall costs associated with Original Medicare, making a fair comparison against Medicare Advantage plans challenging.
The GAO survey further emphasizes this issue, with 75 percent of SHIP directors reporting that the lack of Medigap information in MPF significantly limits beneficiaries’ ability to accurately compare Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage options. This omission leads to a skewed comparison, potentially misleading beneficiaries about the true costs and benefits of each type of Medicare coverage.
CMS Acknowledges Issues and Plans Redesign
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is aware of the challenges beneficiaries face with the current Medicare Plan Finder. Recognizing the need for improvement, CMS initiated a website redesign project, with a planned launch in August 2019. According to CMS, this redesign is an iterative process involving multiple stages of changes and ongoing user testing. CMS anticipates that feedback from beneficiaries using the redesigned MPF will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the changes in addressing user needs and improving the plan comparison experience.
Conclusion: Improving Tools for Comparing Medicare Plans is Essential
The GAO findings clearly demonstrate that the Medicare Plan Finder, in its previous state, presented significant obstacles for beneficiaries attempting to compare Medicare plans effectively. Usability issues and incomplete cost information hindered informed decision-making, potentially leading to suboptimal coverage choices. While CMS has undertaken redesign efforts, ongoing monitoring and user feedback will be crucial to ensure that the Medicare Plan Finder truly serves its intended purpose: to empower beneficiaries with the tools and information necessary to confidently compare and select the Medicare plan that best meets their individual healthcare needs and financial situations. Improving the accessibility and completeness of resources for Comparing Medicare Plans remains a vital step in supporting the millions of Americans navigating the complexities of Medicare.
