As the final post in our three-part health care blog series, we examine how the ACA is impacting people’s lives in the 1^st quarter of 2014.

Although voters believe the health care law is benefitting people with pre-existing conditions and the uninsured, they do not see the law as having much positive impact on them personally.

Majorities of voters report health care quality and access has remained the same and majorities of insured voters report the number of providers in their health plan networks have remained stable:

• 68{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} of voters say the quality of health care they receive has stayed the same as a result of the health care law;
• 63{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} of voters say their access to health care services has stayed the same as a result of the health care law; and,
• 54{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} of voters with private insurance or Medicare say the number of physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers in their health plan’s network has stayed the same as a result of the health care law.

However, voters are feeling the squeeze financially.  Pluralities of voters report health care costs have increased because of the law (46{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} health care costs have increased, 6{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} health care costs have decreased, 42{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} health care costs have stayed the same).   Beyond partisanship, there are some core voter groups where majorities report their costs have increased because of the law:

Importantly, voters today lean towards wanting lower costs rather than more choices of providers in a health plan (52{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} – A lower monthly premium for the consumer, 41{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} – More choices of physicians and other health providers in the plan).

• People with private coverage, those who do not have coverage, and those who drop in-and-out of coverage want lower premium costs over larger provider networks.

Methodology: 

Public Opinion Strategies and Peter Hart conducted a national telephone survey among N=800 registered voters from February 16-20, 2014.  MOE = +3.46{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}.

Data from this survey was presented at AHIP’s National Health Policy Forum on March 6^th, 2014.

(Please note this blog post does not reflect the opinions of either AHIP or Peter Hart)