Survey of more than 1,000 measures public attitudes on new health care law
by Statehouse News ServiceNovember 15, 2006 -- Massachusetts residents are cautiously optimistic about the new health care reform law, but divided about a mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or face financial penalties, according to survey results released today.
The survey, released this morning during a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation health reform law summit, shows about 80 percent of respondents have heard of the new law, of which 61 percent support it, 20 percent oppose it and 18 percent answered they don’t know. Fifty-four percent of respondents have confidence the new law will succeed while 42 percent believe it will not. Also, 52 percent support the new individual mandate.
The telephone survey, conducted by International Communications Research, an independent research company, involved interviews with 1,031 residents age 18 and older from September 11 to 18, 2006. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent. The poll sponsors say it marks the first bid to measure public opinion about the law.
Signed into law in April, the new health reform law increases access to health insurance by expanding Medicaid, government subsidies, and imposing insurance market reforms and mandates. The law also requires employers of 10 or more workers to contribute to their employees’ coverage or pay an annual assessment per employee.
Survey takers asked participants about the state-approved premiums to be paid by individuals and families receiving subsidized coverage under Commonwealth Care. The program applies to those earning 100 percent to 300 percent of the federal poverty level - for an adult the range is $9,800 a year to $29,400 per year and for a family of two adults it's $13,300 to $39,600. For a family of two adults and one child, it's $16,600 a year to $49,800 per year. The proposed contributions range from 1.7 percent (or $18 monthly) to 4.7 percent ($106 a month) of income for individuals, and from 2.1 percent ($36 to $48 a month) to 6.3 percent ($240 a month) for families.
A majority of respondents said the Commonwealth Care plan premiums are reasonable and were also supportive of the range in prices. But the report cautioned that public support could “erode” if premiums start rising.
The survey showed 88 percent of respondents support MassHealth’s expansion to cover uninsured children and 70 percent of respondents are supportive of a part of the law that requires businesses to do more to assist their employees in obtaining health coverage.
The mixed response to the individual mandate underscores a need for more public outreach about the new law and careful examination by the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, a state board overseeing the law’s implementation, the report said.
“The public’s views on the individual mandate point to a need for both widespread education about the new requirement and for the new Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority to exercise care when establishing the affordability standards for the individual mandate to ensure that those standards are viewed as fair by the public,” it said.
Respondents were also divided about the likely economic impact of the new law, with 33 percent answering the state economy will be hurt, 28 percent feeling it will be helped and 32 percent believing it will not have “much impact.”
The report concludes the Connector should “develop and maintain a close relationship” with small businesses, which are likely to be the most vulnerable participants under the law if the economy worsens.
“Despite these challenges, the widespread support for the Massachusetts health reform law is reason for optimism for its future if leaders can combine public support with a highly visible continuation of the implementation work already under way,” the report says.
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