Consumers remain in the dark about many aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and are more likely than ever to shop around before making a decision.

These are among the key findings of the "American Sentiments on Obamacare" national survey, completed in October by HealthPlans.com, an independent consumer health insurance website in Los Angeles.

"We were surprised to learn how many respondents still plan to shop around even if they were satisfied with their plan," said Martin Quigley, senior advisor for HealthPlans.com.

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The survey, which includes more than 1,150 respondents, found that:

  • Sixty percent of consumers who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their current coverage plan to shop around before deciding on a plan for 2015.
  • Subsidies and tax penalties did not influence health insurance purchase decisions for the majority (74 percent) of respondents.
  • Respondents were less than satisfied with the information provided to them about prescription drug coverage under their plans.
  • Seventy percent said drug coverage was an important factor in their decision.
  • Political allegiance continues to dominate respondents' perspectives on the subject of PPACA, with Republicans almost three times as likely as Democrats to agree that Obamacare should be repealed.
  • Sixty percent of those who qualified for a PPACA subsidy said the subsidy influenced their decision.
  • Forty percent said their decision is not influenced by the subsidy, even if they received one.

"It's good to see that consumers are taking the open enrollment process seriously and using this time to identify their needs, compare prices and ultimately decide on the best coverage for the coming year," Quigley said.

One takeaway message for human resources professionals is that ongoing education of employees remains important. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, only 11 percent of the nation's uninsured were aware when open enrollment for Obamacare began.

 

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Alan Goforth

Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.