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91 Percent of Medicare Advantage Plan Members Aware of Star Ratings Said They Were Important, According to New Independent Research StudyREDWOOD CITY, CA, May 05, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Medagate Corporation, the company that powers OTCNetwork(TM), the only national over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare benefits payments platform, today announced findings from a new survey of Medicare Advantage plan members that examined the overall satisfaction and experience when using Medagate's OTCMedicare(TM) benefit card. Additionally, the survey analyzed member awareness of Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Star Ratings, the importance of discounts on choice and consumption of OTC items, along with product categories most consumed by Medicare Advantage plan members. Conducted by the American Research & Policy Institute (ARPI) in Washington, DC, findings from the survey showed that, of those members aware of Star Ratings, 91 percent said Star Ratings given to Medicare Advantage plans were important. Additionally, 77 percent responded that OTC item discounts were important in their purchasing decisions -- critical insights for Medicare Advantage payers seeking to improve retention and drive new enrollments. For detailed information on ARPI's independent research findings, download the report Medicare Advantage Plan Member Satisfaction Survey. "This study strongly suggests that Star Ratings and discounts will play an increasingly important role in consumer evaluation and selection of Medicare Advantage plans," said Devin Wade, CEO of Medagate. "The data also showed that our OTCMedicare(TM) benefit card, not only impacts member satisfaction -- a key component of Star Ratings -- but also has the ability to drive new member referrals." Specific findings around the OTCMedicare card showed that 86 percent of Medicare Advantage plan members responded they were very satisfied with the card. 88 percent responded that they would recommend the card to family and friends. And 84 percent responded that they were able to purchase the brands and product categories they most often consumed using their OTC benefit card. For information on new strategies around increasing Member Satisfaction to improve Star Ratings, you can also download our white paper, Increasing Medicare Advantage Plan Star Ratings. About Medagate Corporation Medagate Corporation is a leading provider of health care benefit platform solutions and services. Medagate's innovative technology, products, and services empower consumers with greater access to health care benefits for use in self-care. Medagate powers the OTCNetwork(TM) in partnership with InComm -- the leading issuer and processor of gift cards, processing over $15 billion in transactions annually. OTCNetwork acceptance is today integrated into front-of-store Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminals at over 35,000 retail locations in all 50 states. Medagate's OTCMedicare(TM) and OTCMedicaid(TM) branded re-loadable prepaid cards are the first to restrict spend exclusively to OTC Medicare and Medicaid eligible items. Visit our website at: www.otcnetwork.com. Media Contacts: Mark Hall EGOEAST Inc. (for Medagate) Email Contact 609-477-3475 SOURCE: Medagate http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=6BD89F513443433F |