[UPDATED, 5:15 p.m.: part of the drop in enrollees' ratings of their plans in 2016 may be due to who's buying the plans rather than what's on offer. See note at bottom.]
The Kaiser Family Foundation released its latest survey of enrollees in the individual market for health insurance today, which also includes some data on enrollees in employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). While majorities still report themselves satisfied with their health plans, the results suggest that health insurance is deteriorating, in ESI as well as in the individual market.
The comparisons provided with results from 2015 and 2014 tell a simple story. Deductibles and cost-sharing are on the rise, so people have more trouble paying their bills, are more often surprised by what their plans don't cover, more often go without needed care, and are therefore less satisfied with their plans. This is all true in employer-sponsored insurance as well as in the individual market, though satisfaction in ESI starts from a higher baseline.*
Data on deductibles brings the overall picture into focus. In the individual market as a whole, more enrollees in low deductible plans report themselves satisfied than those with high deductibles (74% vs. 59% ). The percentage of enrollees in high deductible plans is rising (49%, compared to 36% in 2015 ), and the percentage of those dissatisfied with their plans is also rising (31%, up from 20% in 2015 and 2016). The rise in high deductible plans is proportionate to the drop in reported satisfaction: 66% of all enrollees in ACA-compliant plans report themselves satisfied this year, compared to 74% in 2015.
The Kaiser Family Foundation released its latest survey of enrollees in the individual market for health insurance today, which also includes some data on enrollees in employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). While majorities still report themselves satisfied with their health plans, the results suggest that health insurance is deteriorating, in ESI as well as in the individual market.
The comparisons provided with results from 2015 and 2014 tell a simple story. Deductibles and cost-sharing are on the rise, so people have more trouble paying their bills, are more often surprised by what their plans don't cover, more often go without needed care, and are therefore less satisfied with their plans. This is all true in employer-sponsored insurance as well as in the individual market, though satisfaction in ESI starts from a higher baseline.*
