No ‘Progress’ for Obamacare: Americans Still Uninsured and Unaware of Mandate

The vast majority of Americans, 81%, say they are aware of the Obamacare (ACA’s) requirement that most Americans must carry health insurance or pay a fine. Americans who are currently uninsured – which ironically are those most directly affected by the mandate – apparently weren’t paying much attention to the healthcare debate when the monstrosity was passed. The uninsured are much less likely to be aware of the provision, with 56% saying they know about it and 43% saying they are unaware.

Where were they during the Supreme Court decision, which ended with Chief Justice Roberts rewriting the law and reinterpreting the solicitor general’s argument? The Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate, but did not rule that the fedral government had the power to force states to setup the insurance exchanges, known as Medicaid expansion. As the date for implementation draws near, public support for state implementation of those exchanges is declining. A Rasmussen survey released today found that just 41% of Likely U.S. Voters would like their governor to support implementation of the law, while 48% want their governor to oppose it, and just 11% are not sure.

The aforementioned results are based on a June 20-24 Gallup poll, which asked a series of questions on Obamacare, or the comprehensive healthcare overhaul bill signed into law by President Obama in 2010 known as the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act. Many of the law’s key provisions will go into effect January of 2014, and as the time draws near and more Americans are educated on the government overhaul the more they do not like it.

Gallup previously reported that more Americans thought the law would make the healthcare situation worse than better for themselves and the nation. In a recent article we discussed the Obama administration’s plans to tap Hollywood in an effort to sway public opinion, even though they have had three years to sell it and a record high number of Americans now want to repeal the bill in its entirety, as a record high expressed worry and anxiety over the bill.

The subgroups that are less likely to be aware of the health insurance requirement are also the subgroups that are least likely to be insured, including Hispanics, blacks, young adults, and those in lower-income households. In other words, the voting blocs that supported Barack Obama at the polls do not even know how the bill will adversely effect them, however, the fact they didn’t understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch is much the fault of Republican Party.

The federal government is beginning to ramp up its efforts to increase awareness among the uninsured to purchase health insurance. Those who lack insurance can find and purchase a plan for 2014 through a government website starting Oct. 1.

In total, most Americans say they are “at least somewhat” familiar with Obamacare in general, with just 16% of Americans saying they are “very familiar” with the overhaul and 59% saying they are “somewhat familiar” with it. Those who currently have insurance – Obama flat-out lied to them about their ability to keep their insurance – are more likely to say they are familiar with the law than those who are uninsured. However, the margin between the two groups on this question – 12% – is far smaller than the 29% difference in the two groups’ awareness of the specific insurance mandate requirement, or the so-called “shared responsibility payment.”

Not surprisingly, uninsured Americans are the most likely to cite cost and affordability as the reason why they do not have health insurance, as 43% cite this reason. Again, this is not terribly surprising given the dramatic increase in health insurance costs in just the last 5 years. One of the stated goals of Obamacare is to make insurance affordable by offering government subsidies so lower- and middle-income people can purchase it, and whether the law is successful will be contingent upon the government’s ability to make health insurance affordable to those who currently do not have it.

That’s a real concern considering a new survey conducted by Insurancequotes.com reported that 64% of uninsured Americans still aren’t sure whether they’ll comply – and many are confused about whether they’ll be eligible for tax credits to help pay premiums. Only 19 percent said they will get coverage by the deadline, while 10 percent said they plan to stay uninsured and pay the penalty, which in 2014 is the greater of $95 or one percent of income for an adult.

Unemployment and the Obama economy are also major factors for the uninsured, with 24% saying they lack insurance because they are currently unemployed. Also, 8% are working but say their job does not offer health benefits, and another 2% lack health insurance because they are self-employed.

Adding credibility to the survey conducted by Insurance Quotes, 7% say they lack health insurance because they are healthy and don’t need it. This is a relatively small percentage of people, but the entire law presupposes they will have people in the insured pool who do not use their insurance often, which is supposed to keep health insurance costs down. A small percentage – 9% – appear likely to purchase insurance soon, but said they need to get it or just have not gotten it yet.

Obamacare was designed to expand health insurance coverage to those who lack it by making it more affordable and requiring those who might not otherwise carry it to do so. With only six months to go before Americans are required to carry health insurance, slightly more than half of the uninsured population is aware of the mandate, or requirement of them to do so. Ensuring the uninsured are aware of the health insurance requirement and getting them onto a health plan by the end of the year is – according to Obama and the Democrats’ earlier argument – crucial to the Affordable Care Act’s success. However, the biggest obstacle will be the perception of the uninsured that they cannot afford health insurance, the main reason they give for not having it, and the fact that the public simply cannot stand the law, at all.

Public Opinion of Obamacare – President Obama’s & the Democrats’ Healthcare Law