Consider the four health plans below with an eye to choosing one
to offer to the company’s employees. Assume that the health plans
and their annual per employee premiums are as follows:
Health Plan Premium, Individual Premium, Family Aetna Health
$4,555 $11,428 MetroPlus $4,267 $10,540 Empire $4,217 $10,767
Oxford $6,029 $13,417 The employer will pay 80% of the premium for
individual coverage, and the employee will pay the remaining 20% as
well as the entire additional premium for family coverage. (The
premiums listed above, while realistic in magnitude, are
hypothetical and computed solely for the purpose of this project.)
All of the plans are managed care plans. Assume that the benefit
package is the same across all plans, so there is no difference
between them in what services are covered. In addition to the above
data, click here to view and investigate the Online Report on
Quality Performance Results in New York State, the latest report
card issued by the New York State Department of Health, 2013, and
incorporate the information into your evaluation. You can view the
various categories of measures on which health plans are rated
(e.g., Access to Care, Adult Living with Illness, etc.). Click each
link for a summary chart that presents the performance (usually as
a percentage score) of each plan in the group on the relevant
measures and how each plan compares to regional and statewide
scores. Submit a 2-page analysis in a Microsoft Word document that
outlines the plan you selected and why. Generally, you would select
the plan with the highest score, but if you chose a plan with a
lower score, explain why. Include the following elements in your
analysis: • Explain which factors (e.g., price and/or performance
measures) were most important to your choice of plan and how you
derived the weights for each factor you used. • Indicate, on a
scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable or confident you are that you
made the right choice, with 10 being most confident. Part II You
need to use the multiattribute utility (MAU) technique to respond
to the following questions. Although the technique can be performed
with pencil and paper, it is recommended you use a Microsoft Excel
to do the various calculations involved. Click the following links
to access the information on using the MAU technique: • MAU Model •
MAU Example • Compare your level of confidence at the time you
completed Part I to your confidence level for Part II, when you
used this decision aid. • Was it helpful? What were its advantages
and disadvantages? Did it make the decision harder to make or
easier to justify? Support your responses with examples. Cite any
sources in APA format.
