Health insurers in Florida rank lower

Health insurers in Florida rank lower on a series of quality measures compared with insurance companies in other parts of the country, according to a report released on Monday by the Florida Health Care Coalition, the Miami Herald reports. FHCC -- a coalition of Florida employers including Macy's, county governments and school boards -- studied the state's six largest insurers.

Insurers' services were measured using a tool called eValue8, a quality measuring system developed by the National Business Coalition on Health. Cigna ranked highest among Florida insurers in four categories: overall profile, consumer satisfaction, disease prevention and behavioral health.

Aetna ranks first for chronic disease management, Humana is first for information on health care providers and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida leads for adoption of information technology, according to the report. UnitedHealthcare ranks No. 1 for prescription drug benefits, the report finds.

However, Florida's highest-ranking insurers in many categories did not score as high as the best plans in other parts of the U.S.

For example, Cigna ranked first in Florida for prevention and wellness programs, scoring a 78 out of 100, compared with the national high of 95.

FHCC President and CEO Becky Cherney said Florida businesses are "paying an enormous amount of money for health insurance, and we're getting C's, D's or F's" compared with insurance provided in some other parts of the country.

Cherney said FHCC's goal is to "pressure the plans to do better."

This is the first year the data on the Florida plans has been made public. FHCC conducted a survey last year but released the results only to its members and insurers (Dorschner, Miami Herald, 9/19).