How Do Consumers Pick A Provider? It’s Often Not Quality

For all of the recent focus on performance and quality measures, a recent headline caught my attention: Medicare Beneficiaries Seldom Choose The Highest Quality Provider During Hospital Discharge Planning.

A recent MedPAC report found that following a hospital discharge, Medicare beneficiaries seldom choose the provider organization in their area with the highest quality ratings. For home health services, 94% selected a home health service with lower quality scores on the Medicare's Home Health Compare. When selecting a skilled nursing facility, 85.3% selected a facility with lower quality scores in on Medicare's Nursing Home Compare.

So, what gives . . .