Americans remain confused about health care law, Policygenius survey finds

1 in 4 people don't know Obamacare's individual mandate was overturned last year

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Oct 15, 2018, 08:30 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 79% of Americans don't know when federal Open Enrollment takes place this year, compared to 76% last year, according to an annual survey from digital insurance marketplace Policygenius.

People remain equally confused about key components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Over 80% don't know the basic benefits that plans sold on Healthcare.gov must cover, compared to 78% in 2017.

And only 7.6% of people without insurance knew all the essential health benefits of the ACA, compared to 23.3% of people who have health insurance.

Americans are also acutely unaware or confused about major changes made to the ACA over the last year:

One in four believe there's still a federal tax penalty for foregoing health insurance.
About 88% did not know short-term health plans can now last for up to three years.
Over a quarter (26%) thought Obamacare was formally repealed in 2018, up from 13% in 2017.

"The current political climate has heightened confusion, but awareness is a chronic issue when it comes to Americans' understanding of our current health care law," Jennifer Fitzgerald, CEO and co-founder of Policygenius, said. "If you need health insurance, it's important to know the marketplaces are opening on November 1 and subsidies are still available for people in need."

Policygenius commissioned Google Consumer Surveys to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,501 adults ages 18 and older online from October 1 to October 4, 2018. The survey's margin of error is between 4% and 5%. You can see the full survey results here.

About Policygenius: Policygenius is a New York City-based, digital insurance marketplace helping people get the coverage they need — and feel good about it. We want people to feel informed as they shop, so we get rid of jargon and make personal finance fun. And when it's time to shop and buy coverage for any aspect of life — from health and life insurance to pet and renters insurance — consumers feel ready. We built the full tech stack for insurance to make it an easier experience for consumers. We started in 2014, and were one of the early pioneers in the insuretech space. We were named one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces 2018.

For more information:
Brooke Niemeyer
Senior Media Relations Manager, Policygenius Magazine
[email protected]

SOURCE Policygenius