Is Your Bundled Care Plan Market-Ready?

Javanmardian says polling shows consumer interest in bundling extends across care settings, beyond physicians. Consumers want bundled coverage to include hospital and facility costs, testing, readmissions, and specialists. And in addition to an increase in transparency, at least 50% of those polled named three benefits essential to making a bundled care arrangement work. 

1. Ability to provide input on care
2. Single, coordinated team care
3. Care warranty

In fact, according to one of the survey's male respondents in the 50-65 year old age category, "One-price-covers-all is attractive, but even more attractive is the promise of a coordinated team providing care and treatment."

The results also revealed what consumers were not willing to do that could impact the structure of a potential bundle: travel for care and give up their primary care physicians. More than half, 64%, said  they would not change physicians or choose a physician based on a bundled healthcare option.

Overall, 74% reported they were only willing to travel within their own city for care; 23% would travel within the region, while only 3% would go out of state for care. That last number is a variable Javanmardian says she will be looking at as Wal-Mart rolls out its bundled care arrangement with six hospitals for cardiac and spine surgery.