More than one-third of Obamacare enrollees aren’t happy with the extra out-of-pocket costs they must still pay for healthcare.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Thursday said they’re “somewhat” or “very” dissatisfied with their plan’s deductible — a set sum consumers must pay for some doctors visits or treatments before their insurer steps in.
Those on plans that meet the new requirements under the Affordable Care Act were more likely to report problems with costs — like being unable to pay their medical bills or skipping doctors visits because of cost — than those in plans that don’t comply.
The largest gap emerged when respondents were asked whether they didn’t fill a prescription because it was too expensive. Eighteen percent of those on compliant plans had not filled a prescription compared with 6 percent of those in non-compliant plans.
But the wide-ranging survey of consumer attitudes toward President Obama’s healthcare law also found that people were generally satisfied with other aspects of their insurance.
Of those who bought plans on the law’s insurance marketplaces, three in four said they’re satisfied with the selection of primary care doctors and hospitals on their plan’s network. And 74 percent rated their coverage overall as “excellent” or “good.”
As other surveys have also found, Kaiser’s respondents were more likely to report being negatively affected by the healthcare law if they vote Republican. But those in high-deductible plans or non-compliant plans were also likely to report negative effects from the law. Those in low-deductible or federally subsidized plans were more likely to report positive effects.
The survey underscores successes of the healthcare law with some remaining challenges. More Americans have gained health coverage under the law (although many still remain uninsured), but many still think healthcare is too expensive in some regards.
