IN bill would extend part-time to 40 hours
July 9, 2013
CT, MI among states grappling to implement health exchanges
July 17, 2013
IN bill would extend part-time to 40 hours
July 9, 2013
CT, MI among states grappling to implement health exchanges
July 17, 2013
Show all

81 percent of Americans know about ACA

Educating Americans and U.S. employers on the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and boosting awareness of healthcare reforms has proven quite challenging for the federal government and states alike. 

A recent study from Gallup revealed 81 percent of Americans know about the ACA mandate that requires most U.S. residents to be covered by health insurance or pay a fine. While this percentage represents an improvement from public awareness figures noted in previous months by various organizations, Gallup’s research also revealed that more than four in 10 uninsured Americans do not know about the healthcare requirement.

The research firm explained that subgroups who reported being less likely to be aware were also the most likely to be uninsured. Awareness was also found to correlate with income level; 89 percent of upper-income Americans said they are somewhat familiar with the ACA, compared to just 62 percent of lower-income Americans.

When uninsured survey respondents were asked why they aren’t covered, cost was the most common answer cited. Nearly one-quarter said they aren’t enrolled because they are unemployed and 8 percent said their employer does not offer them benefits.

With much of the ACA expected to take effect in 2014, employers may want to consider educating staff members on their healthcare options.

Share this:
Erin Woulfe
Erin Woulfe
Erin Woulfe likes to write about things that matter. Keeping her finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the public sector world, she blogs about the latest legislative news and employee benefit trends that affect our school, city and county clients. She’s been with NIS since 2002. “I love connecting to our clients and providing them with the tools they need in order to administrate their plan,” says Erin. “Whether that be materials to educate their employees on certain benefits, how to effectively communicate change within an organization or just providing tips and how-to’s to help them make their job easier.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *