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Purdue retirees applaud retiree medical plans, according to survey

A July 2011 survey of PURA retiree health insurance participants yielded high levels of satisfaction with both the PURcare and Medicare Advantage PPO plans. More than 90 percent of the 300 respondents indicated satisfaction with these insurance plans; 92 percent agreed that the plans are a best buy; and 99 percent indicated they intended to stay in these plans for the foreseeable future.

The Purdue connection and PURA management are the major reasons for member loyalty, trust and retention. No prior drug approval or step therapy, freedom of doctor choice (no network) and vision care were the highest-ranked reasons for plan membership. PURcare respondents took a cost-benefit approach to PURcare membership and did not rank premiums, copays or deductibles as their highest motivations for membership. PPO members were more price-conscious. Nurse hotline, caregivers’ hotline and foreign travel coverage were given lower priority rankings.

Some customer service and reimbursement problems were identified. Several respondents requested a dental care benefit. Recommendations for strengthening the plans and better ways of communicating plan benefits to retirees are under committee consideration.

A PDF of the full report is available to download here.

Comments and questions may be referred to Joe Uhl at uhl@purdue.edu.