The study about Florida’s Medicaid reform project gives the program poor marks regarding informed consumer choice. However, the telephone survey upon which the study is based was conducted between November 2006 and March of 2007, yet the target population for the survey was being enrolled from September 2006 to April 2007. Clearly some people were interviewed before the program was even established. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to conduct the survey after the state had a chance to get information to people about the program?

Also, the study continues to report results as poor when they could easily be read as successes. For example:

“[Thirty] percent of adult SSI enrollees and 20 percent of the overall caseload in both counties were not aware that they had a choice of health plans under the waiver.” But that means that 70 and 80 percent presumably WERE aware they had choices.

The article also seems to disregard the study’s own finding that “many reported that it was very easy or easy to get information about the various plan options.” Could part of the problem be that the survey was taken too soon, before people had information about their options?

It takes time for people to learn about program changes and plan options, all of which were state approved. Certainly there are some ways in which the program can be improved, but giving people on Medicaid the dignity of having a choice of the private coverage is certainly worth trying.