According to HealthMarkets, with just one month to go before open enrollment begins on November 15th, a majority of Americans still do not appear to understand the impact and implications of the landmark legislation.
Nearly 60% of Americans do not believe the law has had an impact on their lives.
- Of those who do believe the ACA has impacted them
- 78% view the effects as negative
- 48% claim that their taxes are higher
- 55% claim their health insurance is more expensive
- Only 20% believe they now have better coverage.
Across income levels, the amount that Americans say they can afford to spend out-of-pocket on health care costs is far below the deductibles, co-pays and other costs for most health plans offered on the exchange. Households earning the current U.S. median income of approximately $52,000 believe they can afford to spend up to an average of $976 on out-of-pocket health care costs annually, while in reality that same household with four family members could face costs of up to $10,400 under a Silver Plan ACA plan.
