Survey: Public Will Judge The Affordable Care Act On, Well, Affordability Of Care

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new HealthPocket consumer survey looks at what factors will contribute to the perceived success or failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) beginning in January 1, 2014. When survey takers were asked, "Which do you think is the most important issue for judging if Obamacare is a success or failure in 2014?" 38 percent answered that the number one factor was premium affordability. Thirty percent said it would be the percent of people uninsured.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130509/DC10929-INFO)

While the ACA has established a path toward increasing the number of Americans with health insurance, the law's effects on the costs of care to consumers are not yet clear. Other than premium affordability and percent of people uninsured, survey respondents said "percent of people keeping existing health plan" (13%); "breadth of insurance benefits" (10%); and "percent of people keeping their doctor" (10%); were issues for judging if the ACA is a success or failure.

"The Affordable Care Act is an extraordinary endeavor, and not surprisingly, people see this national effort differently based upon their perspectives on the current health care system," said Steve Zaleznick, executive director for consumer strategy and development at HealthPocket. "Our poll is an important reminder that, above all, consumers are most worried about how they will be able to afford the premiums for health plans that they are obligated to pay for in 2014."

Health care in the United States makes up almost 18 percent of the economy's gross domestic product, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The ACA has made and will continue to make dramatic changes in how health care is paid for and delivered. Starting in 2014, a number of provisions focused on insurance coverage will go into effect including guaranteed issue coverage; subsidies for people up to 400 percent of the poverty level; penalties for failing to obtain coverage; and Medicaid expansion for states (if they choose to expand).

HealthPocket has published prior research examining the existing health plan universe and how plans can currently decline applicants, or charge more than the quoted price to people based on their health status. The research also reviewed where plans fall in the categories that make up the ACA's essential benefits requirements. Changes in the ACA will provide more comprehensive coverage to more people as can be seen in prior research. However, this survey is a signal that many people will also be looking for less expensive coverage regardless of the packages available.

HealthPocket is supporting consumers in their quest for affordable coverage by giving them free access to information about cost and quality of health plans available in their location. Users can learn more by visiting HealthPocket's individual and family plan section to conduct their search.

This InfoPoll survey of 1,001 people was conducted between May 6 and May 8, 2013. The methodology to acquire survey respondents who approximate national statistics on age, gender, and region was implemented by Google. See the InfoPoll to review the detailed findings.

About HealthPocket
HealthPocket.com is a free website that compares and ranks all health plans available to an individual, family, or small business, so everyone can make their best health plan decision and save on their out of pocket costs. The Company uses only objective data from government, non-profit, and private sources that carry no conditions that might restrict the site from serving as an unbiased resource. The founders of HealthPocket.com spent decades pioneering online access to health insurance information and knew they could offer something different that can positively change how people buy and use healthcare in the U.S. Learn more at www.HealthPocket.com.

SOURCE HealthPocket