As producers prepare once again to assist Americans in purchasing health insurance plans over the online Affordable Care Act marketplaces, public opinion of the law has reached an all-time low.
According to a new Gallup poll out this week, just 27% of Americans approve of the ACA—one percentage point fewer than the previous low in January 2014 when anxiety and frustration over website glitches fueled dissatisfaction among even the law’s most staunch supporters.
Fifty-five percent of Americans now say they disapprove of the law, including a significant number of non-white citizens, just 56% of whom approve of the new law.
Increases in health insurance premiums—which average out to about a 4% raise—are largely behind the disaffected portion of the population.
A full 35% of uninsured Americans also plan to remain uninsured, instead paying a fine of $325 per person or 2% of income, whichever is larger. Despite the increase in the fine for going uninsured, the number of people defying the individual mandate actually rose six percentage points in the past year.
Lack of education may be to blame, as nearly 30% said they were not aware they must either have insurance or pay a fine. Similarly, 46% of Americans say they are “not familiar at all” with the insurance exchanges.
Despite these negative views, however, enrollees in ACA plans are pleased with their coverage. According to another Gallup Poll, more than seven in 10 enrollees rate the quality of their healthcare policies as “excellent” or “good.”
And producers helping Americans re-enroll or choose new plans are already having success. Roughly 100,000 people submitted insurance applications Saturday, when the 2015 open enrollment period began, tempered by just a few glitches.
US health officials have reported no technical problems thus far with the federal site, HealthCare.gov, and several state exchanges continue to service enrollees and agents well. Some state-run exchanges, such as Washington and California, did have difficulty, though issues are said to be garnering swift attention.
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