An opportunity for HMOs to use marketing to increase enrollee satisfaction.

Purpose: To identify the combination of marketing components (i.e., service, price, access, and promotion) of commercial health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that are related to overall enrollee satisfaction. The researchers focus on factors that commercial HMOs control directly — specifically, health care organization and financing. Design: Descriptive (mail order). Methodology: This study uses napatients. By focusing on these preferences, HMOs can adopt a responsive market orientation that gives rise to more effective marketing mixes and hence improves enrollee satisfaction. With improved satisfaction, enrollees generate less need for government intervention through regulation or legislation. Key terms: Health care marketing, enrollee satisfaction, marketing orientation, HMOs, managed care.