Annual Healthcare Survey: Americans Cite Affordability and Doctor Visits as Most Important Aspects of U.S. Healthcare System
"Since the start of the ACA, our annual TCHS survey has shown that access to affordable and quality healthcare is imperative to Americans," said
Approximately one in three Americans think healthcare-related costs, including premiums (36 percent), deductibles (32 percent) and out-of-pocket expenses (32 percent) have increased. More than half (58 percent) spend approximately
However, a large gap still remains in comparison with the uninsured, 63 percent of whom say they cannot afford routine healthcare expenses.
After a three-year decline from a first-year peak of 21 percent, the percentage of those surveyed who are uninsured has held steady at 12 percent over the past year. Among the uninsured, the leading reasons for not having coverage are the perception that even with the tax penalty involved, it's cheaper than buying a policy (26 percent) and not being aware of the mandate for coverage (24 percent). The average age of the uninsured is 38, which rose slightly from age 37 last year. Sixty-five percent of the uninsured earn less than
However, Latinos have made the biggest gain in access to affordable coverage over the past few years. Latino adults (17 percent) are more likely than White (11 percent), Black/African America (9 percent) and Asian Americans (6 percent) adults to say their access to affordable coverage has increased.
"We've seen significant gains in the number of the insured since 2014. However, our survey results also show that many Americans are concerned about the cost of healthcare coverage and dealing with chronic illnesses," said De La Torre.
For example, 62 percent of adults in the
Other key findings from the survey include:
- Americans who are insured through an Exchange are more likely than those insured by other means (employer, individual) to say the quality of health insurance plans they have access to have decreased.
- One in five Americans (20 percent) says their health insurance coverage is worse than it was one to two years ago.
- Roughly half of Americans (51 percent) have a neutral opinion of the ACA and its impact on the
U.S. healthcare system. - On average, only 27 percent of Americans are saving for health expenses.
- Around three in five (57 percent) Americans think their employer is very or somewhat concerned about the affordability of health insurance for their employees.
- More than half of Americans (54 percent) feel healthcare benefits are a very important factor in their job satisfaction, following compensation (70 percent) as the top factor.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The survey was conducted online within
ABOUT THE TRANSAMERICA CENTER FOR HEALTH STUDIES®
TCHS engages with the American public through national surveys, its website, research findings and consumer guidance. TCHS also collaborates with healthcare experts and organizations that are equally focused on health coverage and personal health and wellness.
The Transamerica Institute® is a nonprofit, private foundation funded by contributions from
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