A recent survey reveals that while most Americans are hesitant to use online exchanges like those established under Obamacare, they are open to other new ways of purchasing health insurance.
In a report entitled “US Attitudes Toward Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform,” Valence Health found that more than one-third of respondents would be open to purchasing health insurance plans through their local hospitals and health systems, or Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans (CO-OPs).
At the same time, 39% said they were “very unlikely” to use online insurance exchanges to purchase coverage, and fewer than 10% said they would “accept salary increases or stipends to purchase out-of-pocket health insurance.”
A majority of respondents did express a favorable opinion of the Affordable Care Act, but said they believed their insurance rates would rise due to the reform—perhaps explaining their reticence to use the new exchanges.
Instead, a third of respondents said they were “very or somewhat likely to purchase health insurance through their local hospital or health system,” expressing the belief that such plans would be less costly and of higher quality than traditional insurance plans.
Another 43% said they were “very likely or somewhat likely to consider switching from their current method of acquiring insurance…to CO-OPs.”
When questioned about their most important considerations when choosing health insurance, respondents indicated that they looked first at coverage for ER/hospital visits, second for coverage of preventative care, and third for prescription drug coverage.
Plans with high ratings and national coverage ranked among the lowest reasons people chose their current health plan, Valence found, while premium and co-pay cost ranked near the middle.
“This could indicate a shift away from large, commercial insurance companies, as consumers become more open and ready to try smaller, local payers, because they perceive it to be more cost-effective, convenient and may lead to better overall patient outcomes,” Valence said.
Survey authors noted that if these trends play out, the US could experience a “major shift” in healthcare spending.
“If only 5% of commercially insured Americans try new insurance options, that translates into nearly 10mn people who account for more than $20bn in healthcare spending,” Valence said.
