Survey: Most uninsured don't know if they will buy coverage

Tools

A majority of uninsured consumers--64 percent--haven't decided whether they will buy health coverage even though open enrollment for health insurance exchanges begins in just a few months, a new survey shows.

The survey, which was conducted by InsuranceQuotes.com, also found that only 19 percent of the 1,000 uninsured respondents said they plan to buy health insurance, and another 10 percent said they intend to pay the penalty instead of obtaining coverage.

"Many people are taking a wait-and-see attitude," Amy Bach, executive director of the insurance consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, said in the survey. "People are still in the dark about what their options are going to be--and they're skeptical that the penalty for not buying insurance is going to be enforced, at least in the first couple of years."

The problem, according to the survey, is that most consumers don't fully understand the reform law, as shown by the 58 percent of respondents who said they don't know whether they're eligible for subsidies under the reform law. Plus, 61 percent of respondents said they haven't yet purchased an insurance plan because they can't afford it under the law.

"Even though the new health care law has been hotly debated for years, a shocking number of Americans are still unsure how it will affect them," Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst for InsuranceQuotes.com said in a statement.

To learn more:
- here's the InsuranceQuotes.com survey and statement

Related Articles:
HHS allocates $150M to help promote exchanges
Are we on the eve of a great healthcare migration?
26M people eligible for health exchange tax credits
States, feds slow to educate public about exchanges
Survey: Most Americans still don't understand reform law