60% Are Willing to Risk Their Health To Vote In Person In November

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Jul 08, 2020, 00:01 ET

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sacrificing one's health to vote in the November election: 60% are willing to risk their health to vote in person, according to the latest healthinsurance.com consumer pulse survey. 63% of Americans don't think healthcare should be a political issue. Yet when asked what the most important issue is to them in the 2020 election, 50% said economy and 50% said healthcare.

Beyond the 2020 election, the survey explored COVID-19's impact on healthcare, health insurance, medical costs, technology, and the economic landscape.

Medical costs were a top concern for the majority of respondents:

92% think prescription drug prices in the U.S. are too high
93% think medical costs in the U.S. are too high
56% have avoided medical treatment because of cost
64% think they pay too much for health insurance
93% think prices for medical procedures should be as transparent as prices of food in the supermarket

COVID-19 also remained a prominent worry for many respondents. Two-thirds reported feeling less confident in the quality of healthcare in the United States in light of COVID-19. 1 in 4 has or knows someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Yet, testing is an issue, with one-third of respondents reporting having a hard time or knowing someone who had a hard time getting tested for COVID-19. Lastly, 63% reported being worried over the cost of COVID-19 treatment.

The recent spike in COVID-19 cases has 74% thinking the U.S. needs another "pause" to contain the spread. Another 88% said they would comply if the country has to shut down again to contain COVID-19.

With 89% saying they are taking every precaution possible to prevent getting COVID-19, 62% say they have witnessed guidelines not being followed while out in public places. For cities or towns that have partially opened:

40% have been to a restaurant or bar
37% have been to a beauty/hair salon or barber shop
60% have been to a retail store or mall
14% have been to a gym

When asked about masks, 85% think they prevent the spread of COVID-19 with 77% saying everyone should be required to wear one. In fact, 73% think there should be a fine for not wearing a mask, and 41% think the fine should be more than $100.

Traveling anywhere is out of the question for most. 53% reported not being comfortable returning to the office just yet, and 67% say they wouldn't travel for work or to see family members or friends.

Working from home has 47% finding it impossible to find a way to completely unplug from the office. For the majority, that's a trade-off they are willing to make: 81% said they want to work from home full-time after COVID-19 passes - and 43% would even take a pay cut to do so.

Healthcare technology continues to be on the rise now more than ever:

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 20% had used telemedicine.
During the pandemic, 43% have used telemedicine.
After the pandemic, 60% say they will continue to use telemedicine.
56% say their doctors are offering virtual visits and 3 in 10 say their insurance companies have been in touch about telemedicine.

Telemedicine isn't just for humans, though. 49% said they would use telemedicine for their fur babies. The survey also asked pet owners how COVID-19 is impacting their pets; 37% will stop allowing people to pet their dog over COVID-19 fears, while 17% are afraid their pet is going to get COVID-19.

COVID-19 is leaving many thinking about their insurance options, too. 56% say they have a life insurance policy, but COVID-19 has caused 31% of respondents to think about buying one. 20% has lost or knows someone that has lost their health insurance during COVID-19. 54% say they don't know what their health insurance options are should they lose their health insurance - a decrease from the 68% that didn't know their options in May. While many may be thinking about getting a new job, 49% are reluctant to switch jobs right now because they want to keep their health benefits.

View the full survey results here: https://www.healthinsurance.com/learning-center/article/politics-economy-and-healthcare-during-covid-19

METHODOLOGY:
The above results were gathered through an online poll of more than 1,100 Americans between the ages of 18-64. The poll was conducted from July 3, 2020 to July 6, 2020, gleaning representative samples from each state based on population.

ABOUT HEALTHINSURANCE.COM:
Healthinsurance.com combines the nation's leading health insurance carriers and advanced technology to offer a suite of private insurance solutions and Medicare plan options. In just a few clicks, our website provides consumers the ability to access powerful online comparison tools and educational resources that enable efficient self-guided navigation of available health insurance and Medicare options. For more information, visit www.healthinsurance.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Healthinsurance.com LLC is part of the Benefytt Technologies family companies (NASDAQ: BFYT). This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical fact, and may include statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding new markets, products, services, growth strategies, anticipated trends in our business and anticipated changes and developments in the United States health insurance system and laws. Forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, expectations and beliefs are generally identifiable by use of words "may," "might," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue," or similar expressions and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our ability to maintain relationships and develop new relationships with health insurance carriers and distributors, our ability to retain our members, the demand for our products, the amount of commissions paid to us or changes in health insurance plan pricing practices, our ability to integrate our acquisitions, competition, changes and developments in the United States health insurance system and laws, and our ability to adapt to them, the ability to maintain and enhance our name recognition, difficulties arising from acquisitions or other strategic transactions, and our ability to build the necessary infrastructure and processes to maintain effective controls over financial reporting. These and other risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements are discussed in HIIQ's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other documents that may be filed by HIIQ from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. You should not rely on any forward-looking statement as representing our views in the future. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE healthinsurance.com