Background: Although consumers purchasing health plans in the new Health Insurance Marketplace will be provided information on the cost and quality of participating health plans, it is unclear whether the state-wide plan quality averages that will be reported will accurately represent quality at the pricing region level where care will be received.
Objectives: To evaluate whether currently reported state-wide health plan quality scores accurately represent quality within pricing regions established for the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Research Design: Observational, historical cohort study using health plan administrative and pharmacy data.