Where do Medicare beneficiaries stand on health care reform?
Nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries say they have voted already in the presidential election.
The future of Medicare and the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak are expected to be hot-button issues in the November 3 election. In late October, eHealth surveyed more than 2,100 Medicare beneficiaries about political issues related to these topics, compiling the results in its “The Politics of Medicare and Coronavirus” report.
A majority supports early Medicare buy-in. Sixty percent of survey respondents said adults ages 60 to 64 should be able to buy in to Medicare coverage earlier than the standard eligibility age of 65. However, only 1% favor allowing people ages 60 to 64 to enroll in Medicare without requiring them to buy in.
Related: Medicare buy-in: The right move for employers?
Six in ten believe the government should do more to help lower the cost of prescription drugs. Sixty-three percent do not believe that the government is doing enough to reduce drug costs for consumers; 16% believe that the government is doing enough to reduce drug costs’; 16% are unsure; and 5% say they do not consider it the government’s job to lower drug costs.
Most would welcome a government check to help with drug costs. Overall, 64% said a $200 check (as proposed by the Trump administration) would make a meaningful difference to them in their prescription drug costs. More than 50% of survey respondents indicate they have an annual household income of $50,000 or less.
Medicare beneficiaries express increasing discomfort with any new coronavirus vaccine. Forty-seven percent said they are either “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable receiving a coronavirus vaccine released in the near term, up from 37% in eHealth’s July 2020 survey.
Most beneficiaries favor a continued public-private partnership in the administering of the Medicare program. More than half believe that continued cooperation between government and private insurers is key to the future of the Medicare program. Sixteen percent believe it would be best for the Medicare program to be run entirely by the government; 5% believe that Medicare should be entirely privatized; and 27% are unsure of their position.
Nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries already have voted in the presidential election. Of these, 77% said they did so by mail, while 23% voted in person at a polling place. Eight in ten Medicare beneficiaries are worried about exposure to the coronavirus. Thirty percent said they are “very worried” about being exposed to the virus; 52% said they are “somewhat worried”; and 19% said they are “not worried at all” about exposure.
A strong majority of Medicare beneficiaries supports mandatory mask rules. Eighty-five percent said masks should be required in public places where social distancing is difficult. Many Medicare beneficiaries want access to non-standard coronavirus treatments. Forty percent want access to unproven or experimental treatments if they contract the coronavirus, while 23% would not and 37% are unsure.
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