Using Email And Letters To Reduce Choice Errors Among ACA Marketplace Enrollees.
During the 2019 open enrollment period in California's Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, we used a randomized intervention to examine the effects of email and postal messages on choice errors, where low-income households enroll in gold or platinum plans although they are eligible for cost-shari...
| Publicado en: | Health Affairs Vol. 40; no. 5; pp. 812 - 820 |
|---|---|
| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Health Affairs Publishing, LLC
May2021
|
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| Sumario: | During the 2019 open enrollment period in California's Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, we used a randomized intervention to examine the effects of email and postal messages on choice errors, where low-income households enroll in gold or platinum plans although they are eligible for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) silver plans with lower premiums and higher actuarial values. Relative to the control group, assignment to the email-only treatment increased plan switching to CSR silver plans by 2 percentage points (an 11 percent increase), and assignment to the mail-plus-email treatment increased plan switching to CSR silver plans by 3.9 percentage points (a 22 percent increase). The mail-plus-email treatment significantly increased plan switching across all subpopulations in which choice errors were made. Consumers who switched out of a plan chosen in error saved an average of $84 per month in premiums and $56 per month in reduced out-of-pocket expenses. Our results indicate that low-cost nudges can help low-income enroliees obtain more generous coverage at a lower price and that the combination of email and postal messages is more effective at increasing plan switching than email alone to rectify choice errors. |
|---|