Whether Americans get their coverage through employee benefits or take a plan out on their own, they're more concerned about the state of health care than they are about terrorism or the aftereffects of the government shutdown, according to the results of a new poll.
The poll, which was performed by survey research firm ORC International and commissioned by health care marketing firm Chase Communications, found that approximately three in four respondents were "very" or "extremely" worried about health coverage, more so than terror threats or the consequences of the government closing for two-and-a-half weeks late last year. The economy was the only thing that a larger percentage of participants said they were very worried about.
One aspect of health care that's been cause for anxiety, according to the survey, is how much coverage costs. More than nine in 10 respondents said that they either agreed or strongly agreed with the notion that health care premiums will rise. Additionally, approximately 45 percent said that they fretted over the possibility of their contracting a serious disease or medical condition that wasn't fully covered by their plans.
"The current focus of the health care debates has emphasized cost concerns, and that has resulted in distraction from urgent issues that will impact Americans' health and well-being now and over the course of their entire lives: care for chronic diseases, quality of life, aging parents and end of life care," said Julie Chase, CEO and president of the health policy analysis firm.
The Affordable Care Act has proven to be a highly partisan issue, though more poll are showing that the public is opposed to the ACA in its current form. When the bill was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2010, not a single Republican lawmaker voted for it.
