Between 20, the company published “a demonstration project surveying patients about their experience of care with their doctors using the Clinician/Group CAHPS Survey instrument developed by the US Agency for Health Care Research and Quality,” according to Robert Mayer. The Guide to Top Doctors was first published in 1999. acute-care hospitals, which it first published in 1988. as well as the Consumers' Guide to Hospitals, providing ratings for about 4,500 U.S. The company also publishes the Consumers’ Guide to Top Doctors, providing a list of recommended specialists in the 53 largest metro areas of the U.S.

In 1994 they began publishing the Consumer's Guide to Health Plans. Between 19, they also published DC and San Francisco versions of a Checkbook Guide to Area Restaurants. Between 19 the company published Bargains, a publication that focused on price comparisons between retailers in both Washington DC and San Francisco.

The book is published in paper form, and in 2000 its contents were moved online to. Resources Ĭonsumers' Checkbook publishes an annual Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, a health insurance plan cost and quality comparison resource, first publishing the work in 1979.

$3 million of the budget is for evaluating local businesses in seven metropolitan areas, paid for by public subscriptions, and published by Checkbook. Results are published by Medicare, Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Īs of 2018, $9 million of their budget is for customer surveys paid for by over 250 HMO and PPO health plans, and Medicare Advantage and Drug plans. The formal name of the organization is Center for the Study of Services. In 2003 the company expanded to include publications for Seattle-Tacoma, the Twin Cities, Chicago, the Delaware Valley, and Boston. In 1982, its first magazine for another city began, focusing on the San Francisco Bay Area. The first publication only covered the Washington DC area. The ratings are based on items including surveys of consumers, reports from undercover shoppers, expert surveys, the number of consumer agency complaints against a company or service provider, and an analysis of publicly available databases. The first issue of Consumers' Checkbook came out in 1974. As a part of the intention to provide unbiased information the publication does not carry advertising, but does charge a subscription fee. Over time the publication came to also review other professions and services, like physicians.

In response he founded the publication as a not-for-profit venue for rating professionals in fields including mechanics and plumbers. Company overview Ĭonsumers' Checkbook and Center for the Study of Services were founded by company President Robert Krughoff after he had a bad auto repair experience. Currently most of the Center's income comes from doing contract surveys for major health plans. There are both print and online publications in the Boston, Chicago, Delaware Valley, Puget Sound, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C., areas. It was founded in 1974 in order to provide survey information to consumers about vendors and service providers. Consumers' CHECKBOOK cover Fall 2011/ Winter 2012Ĭonsumers' Checkbook/Center for the Study of Services (doing business as Consumers’ CHECKBOOK) is an independent, nonprofit consumer organization.

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