With the second annual open enrollment period for Obamacare now underway, many uninsured Americans are still unaware that they can now go online to get health insurance. And about four in 10 say they will remain uninsured because they don't think they can afford coverage, despite the generous subsidies offered by the program.

The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll revealed these and other truths about health insurance in America. The poll was done just prior to the opening of the enrollment period, and found that 49 percent of those without insurance at present believe they will be able to obtain coverage this year. Of the 41 percent who said they'll probably go another year without insurance, 24 percent said they didn't think they'd be able to find a plan they could afford.

For the uninsured who believe they will get insurance at last, 25 percent said they would do so because they felt they really needed health coverage. Only 13 percent cited the mandate to obtain coverage or the penalty portion of the mandate as they reason they would seek coverage.

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.