What’s Important In A Health Plan?
Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Poll Report – September/October 2004
Which one of the following do you think is the MOST important reason to have health insurance?
71% – To protect against high medical bills
25% – To pay for everyday health care expenses
03% – Don’t know
Catastrophic Coverage: Opinions
Suppose you heard about a type of insurance plan that only starts paying once you (and your family) have paid ($2,000/$5,000) of medical expenses out of your pocket. After that, it would cover medical expenses like traditional insurance, requiring you to pay some co-payments each time you use services. The monthly premium for the plan would be less than half of what you would pay for a typical comprehensive health insurance policy.
Would you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion about this type of health plan?
56% – Very unfavorable
21% – Somewhat unfavorable
13% – Somewhat favorable
05% – Very favorable
Would you feel well protected, or would you feel vulnerable to high medical bills with this type of health plan?
79% – Vulnerable
16% – Well protected
05% – Don’t know
Consumer-Driven Plans: Opinions
(Asked of those with employer-sponsored health insurance) There is a new type of health plan that some employers are considering. It works like this: your employer pays for a health plan that only starts to pay after you have spent ($2,000/$4,000) in medical expenses. They also put ($1,000/$2,000) in an account you can use for medical costs. If your medical expenses are more than ($1,000/$2,000), you have to pay with your own money until you hit the ($2,000/$4,000) limit.
Would you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion about this type of health plan?
52% – Very unfavorable
21% – Somewhat unfavorable
16% – Somewhat favorable
06% – Very favorable
05% – Don’t know
Would you feel well protected, or would you feel vulnerable to high medical bills with this type of health plan?
78% – Vulnerable
18% – Well protected
05% – Don’t know
And by political party and ideology – unfavorable opinion of these consumer-driven plans:
67% of Republicans
74% of Independents
78% of Democrats
68% of Conservatives
70% of Moderates
79% of Liberals
Comment: The proponents of consumer-driven health coverage have been successful in persuading the public to parrot their rhetoric that health insurance should not be used to pay for everyday health care expenses, but that the purpose is to protect against high medical bills. So the public has bought the rhetoric, but do they really believe it?
Much more significant in this poll are the responses of the public when asked about proposals that would fund everyday expenses out-of-pocket or through personal accounts. It is very clear that the overwhelming majority correctly perceive that these proposals would leave them vulnerable to high medical bills.
Other polls have repeatedly confirmed that the number one health care concern for most Americans is affordability, whether that be for insurance or for actual health care.
It is fascinating to note that this issue is not partisan. Liberals and conservatives agree that we want affordable health care. The single payer model would accomplish this. Are we ready to sit down together to begin seriously addressing the real policy issues behind reform? Or are the conservatives going to stubbornly watch their own care become less and less affordable merely to avoid admitting that our government really can be an effective partner in health care?
The government already funds 60% of our health care (when tax incentives are included). Isn’t it time to demand accountability for our public health care investment? Isn’t accountability a goal of conservatives with which we all can agree?