If consumers had the ability to turn back time, many say they would like to use the healthcare system that was in effect in 2009.
In a recent poll performed by Fox News, more than half of respondents – 54 percent – said that they wish they could go back to 2009, before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law, and use that system instead of what's currently in place. The individual portion of the ACA is scheduled to go into full effect in January, while the exchanges are slated to open for enrollment next month.
The poll also found that a substantial number of consumers have some concerns about the healthcare plan they currently have – such as employee benefits from their workplace – and how that will change under the ACA. Close to 70 percent of participants said that they were concerned about what the health reform law would do to their coverage packages. Of those who expressed some consternation, 43 percent said they were "very" worried and 25 percent only "somewhat."
Many of these concerns have to do with the cost of coverage. However, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 7 million consumers have saved in excess of $1 billion in insurance premiums last year alone. Health officials indicated that the cost savings stem from the rate review requirement, which prevents insurers from increasing rates more than 10 percent without first being looked at by regulators.
"This type of competition and transparency will continue in the health insurance marketplace, or exchanges, where Americans will be able to shop for and compare plans side-by-side to find the one that fits their needs and budget," said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of HHS.
