Health care affordability tops consumer concerns
Health care affordability tops consumer concerns
Americans who purchase their own health care are more concerned about affordability than access to quality, according to a new survey on health care reform by the Alliance for Affordable Health Care.
According to the survey conducted in March, Americans who pay for their own health care report the favored method of ensuring affordability is price controls on medical procedures (42%). Other methods include:
• allowing individuals to join health purchasing alliances (21%);
• reforming malpractice (13%);
• expanding the deductibility of health insurance for tax purposes (12%);
• expanding MSAs (4%).
The survey also revealed the following:
• Thirty-one percent of the respondents say the most important issue in health care reform is making sure everyone has health insurance.
• Eleven percent said the most important issue is maintaining the quality of health care.
• Forty-six percent of Americans believe the federal government should create a federal program that guarantees a certain level of health care for children even if a new payroll or higher income tax would be necessary to pay for the program.
• Nineteen percent of the respondents said their overall opinion of HMOs was "good" or "excellent," while 25% said HMOs were "average" and 41% felt HMOs were "fair" or "poor."
• Forty-two percent opposed additional regulation on how HMOs deliver care despite calls for federal mandates and additional restrictions. Only 39% of respondents favored more regulation.
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