Dim View of Managed Care - Harris Interactive poll - Industry Trend or Event - Brief Article

Health Management Technology, August, 2001

Dim View of Managed Care. A Harris Interactive poll reported only 29 percent of adults agree that managed care companies serve their customers well. The same percentage was found last year, but managed care companies have lost 22 points in the survey since 1997. Health insurance companies received a 38 percent approval rating, down a percentage point from the prior year and 17 points from 1997.

Pharmaceutical firms fell in support, scoring well among 57 percent of the public, which was off two percentage points from last year and 22 points from 1997. "The forces which have damaged public perception of health insurers, managed care and the pharmaceutical companies are still in place and are, we believe, likely to inflict more damage over the next few years," said Humphrey Taylor, chairman of the Harris Poll. www.harrisinteractive.com