South Carolinians, Who Have Obamacare Coverage, Say They’re “Satisfied”
Columbia, SC (PRWEB) June 17, 2015 -- When the U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision on subsidies to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act, as many as 150,000 South Carolina residents may lose their federal financial help, despite being satisfied with their coverage, according to the first quarterly South Carolina Healthcare Poll.
“The findings of our first quarterly Poll generated thought-provoking results,” says Carey Crantford, CEO of Crantford Research, which is collaborating with health care consulting firm, The Gerber Group, in the ongoing survey. “People who picked up so-called Obamacare coverage since 2013 seem to be satisfied with the access, quality and cost of their health care, potentially creating repercussions for politicians opposing health reform. ”
If the Supreme Court rules against federal subsidies, residents in South Carolina and other states without a state exchange will lose their subsidies.
Using a random sample and an interactive polling technology, the SC Healthcare Poll tested several issues related to state residents’ satisfaction with their health coverage’s access to care, cost of coverage and quality of care received.
SATISFACTION WITH AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (“Obamacare”)
Health care reform, signed into law into 2010, was hotly debated and labeled by detractors as “Obamacare,” although the formal name is the Affordable Care Act.
Early criticisms of health care reform focused on lack of consumer control in choosing their doctor or hospital. One out of five people in the private insurance sample surveyed (21.7%) said they signed up for Obamacare in 2013.
When these individuals were asked about access:
• 53% of those with Affordable Care coverage said they had BETTER access to care than before they had coverage.
• 93% with Obamacare coverage said their access is now better or about the same since they signed up.
• 78% of those surveyed, who maintained a private insurance policy since 2013 and did not switch to Obamacare, said they had the same or better access than before the change.
Since these respondents felt they could choose their doctor or hospital, we can conclude that they are satisfied with the quality of care they are receiving.
On cost:
• 86% of those who secured coverage under health reform said their policy was “affordable.”
• Only 65% of consumers, who maintained their coverage since 2013, said their coverage was “affordable”.
DECLINE IN EMPLOYER COVERAGE?
“One number that caught our eye – of all those who changed their private healthcare policies in the last year, 28% of those were forced to do so because their employer dropped coverage,” says Gerber Group CEO Randall Gerber. “Employer-provided coverage has been a mainstay of the country’s health system since it was first implemented following WW II. In recent years, however, employers have struggled to maintain coverage in the face of steadily rising costs.”
This potential decrease in employer-provided coverage is a trend we will follow in future polls.
Other individuals surveyed said they changed coverage for a better rate (51%) or because they changed jobs (21%)
MORE ABOUT THE SURVEY
The survey was conducted utilizing a random dialing method and interactive response technology. 545 surveys were completed on June 2, 2015. The margin error for the overall results is +/- 4.6%. The comparative results margin of error is +/_ 5.6%.
Although this survey did not address the government programs of Medicare and Medicaid, future SC Quarterly Healthcare Polls with explore those coverages.
The SC Healthcare Survey is a collaboration of the Gerber Group and Crantford Research. The Gerber Group is a healthcare consulting and marketing firm located in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Crantford Research is located in Columbia, South Carolina. For more information about the survey and each firm, visit http://www.GerberGroup.biz and http://www.Crantford.com.
For more information, contact:
Carey Crantford (carey(at)crantford(dot)com) or 803-256-2565
Randall Gerber (randy(at)gerbergroup(dot)biz) or 843-907-0129
Randall Gerber, The Gerber Group, http://www.gerbergroup.biz, +1 843-907-0129, [email protected]
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