More than two months removed from the enrollment launch of the Affordable Care Act and thousands of stories later chronicling the problem plagued rollout of HealthCare.gov, confusion still reigns supreme among many consumers about how the reform law works and what it means to them.
Nearly 40 percent of consumers said that they feel less informed about the ACA since the sign-up period began on Oct. 1 than they did prior to it, according to a new poll from Consumer Reports. When asked to explain what sources, in particular, were causing their confusion, respondents cited several, including news reports, not understanding the particulars of the law itself, information coming from Congress that could be perceived as biased, as well as conflicting data points emanating from television commercials.
Nancy Metcalf, one of the senior editors for Consumer Reports, indicated that what seems to be frustrating so many consumers is that an already complex health care system is being made that much more convoluted due to all the rules that come with the ACA, such as employers being required to provide employee benefits, but only in certain instances.
"The American health insurance system has long been the world's most complicated, and now consumers are being asked to understand an entirely new set of rules and procedures in addition," said Metcalf. "No wonder they feel confused and unsure where to turn for reliable information."
Perhaps reflecting consumers' confusion about the health law were some misconceptions about it. For example, the Consumer Reports poll found that three in 10 believed that the government would establish panels about the ways in which end-of-life care would be administered, often referred to as so-called "death panels." Further, close to 50 percent thought the ACA set up a single-payer system.
The uninsured are roughly two times more likely to say that they have never heard of the insurance exchanges versus those who do have coverage, according to a separate survey performed by the Transamerican Center for Health Studies.
