In this article, the author uses a survey of more that 90,000 members of the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) to examine a population whose health care is provided by a regulated market unlike any other market in the United States. Within the FEHBP, the government defines the market and brings buyers and sellers together, guaranteeing each much more security than either is able to obtain in the open market. For the sellers, there is the promise of having a customer for at least a year. For the consumer, there is the promise of being treated like any other customer in spite of preexisting illness or other special health care needs. To assess the success of this plan, the author examines how the consumers perceive the quality of their plans and their overall level of satisfaction and then compares that information to perceived quality and satisfaction among consumers in the open market.
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