2010 Health Confidence Survey: Health Reform Does Not Increase Confidence in the Health Care System

This paper presents results from the 2010 Health Confidence Survey (HCS), the 13th wave of an annual survey to assess the attitudes of the American public regarding the health care system in the United States. While confidence regarding various aspects of today’s health care system is not high, it has neither fallen nor increased as a result of passage of health reform. Among its key findings: The HCS was conducted two months after the passage of health reform, and finds that dissatisfaction with the American health care system remains widespread. A majority of Americans rate the health care system as poor (27 percent) or fair (31 percent). Confidence about various aspects of today’s health care system has remained fairly level despite passage of health reform. More than one-half report being extremely or very confident that they are able to get the treatments they need. Confidence in having enough choice about who provides medical care is largely unchanged from 2009 levels. The percentage of individuals who say they are extremely confident that they are able to afford health care without financial hardship increased from 11 percent to 16 percent between 2009 and 2010. Americans’ ratings of their own health plan are generally favorable. Fifty-eight percent of those with health insurance coverage are extremely or very satisfied with their current plan, and 30 percent are somewhat satisfied. Satisfaction with health care quality continues to remain fairly high, with 59 percent of Americans saying they are extremely or very satisfied with the quality of the medical care they have received in the past two years. This is the highest level of satisfaction reported since the HCS was started in 1998. In contrast, just 22 percent are extremely or very satisfied with the cost of their health insurance, and only 19 percent are satisfied with the cost of health care services not covered by insurance. Confidence in the future availability of employment-based health benefits fell. In 2010, 52 percent of individuals with employment-based coverage reported that they were extremely or very confident that their (or their spouse’s) employer or union would continue to offer health insurance, down from 59 percent in 2009. The decline may be due to passage of health reform, the continuing weak economy, or both. Many Americans see themselves as good consumers of the health care system. Three-quarters report that they always or often have their doctor or medical professional explain to them why a test was needed, and two-thirds say they ask their doctor about the risks of treatment or side effects of medications. Slightly more than one-half indicate they ask about the success rate of the treatment option. Many Americans have tried to find objective information about various aspects of health care. Nearly one-half tried to find information on the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment options, whereas 1 in 3 tried to find information about a doctor’s training and the costs of different treatments. When it comes to the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), most Americans do not know when the legislation takes full effect. The PDF for the above title, published in the September 2010 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another September 2010 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Retirement Income Adequacy for Today’s Workers: How Certain, How Much Will It Cost, and How Does Eligibility for Participation in a Defined Contribution Plan Help?”