“the degree to which individuals have the knowledge, ability, and confidence to find and evaluate information about health plans, select the best plan for their own (or their family’s) financial and health circumstances, and use the plan once enrolled.”
a consumer who is highly health insurance literate would be able to do was proposed:
•Compare the key features of several health plans; understand the scope of covered services and the cost-sharing provisions associated with broad categories of services;
•Assess the adequacy and fit of the provider network for his or her (or family’s) health and financial circumstances;
•Assess the quality of each plan in terms of measures that are important to him or her, such as processing claims or customer service;
•Understand an Explanation of Benefits (EOB);
•Understand his or her appeal rights; and
•Know where to turn for more information and help.
Source: Quincy , L. (2012). Measuring health insurance literacy: A call to action. Retrieved from http://consumersunion.org/research/measuring-health-insurance-literacy-a-call-to-action (alternative citation) Measuring Health Insurance Literacy: A Call to Action, A Report from the Health Insurance Literacy Expert Roundtable. Consumers Union, University of Maryland College Park, American Institutes for Research, February 2012.