Health Insurance Daily

Most Americans Like Their Health Plans

A majority of Americans are satisfied with their health plans and do not intend to switch to another plan for the coming year, a new poll indicates. About 89% of adults are very or somewhat confident that their health insurance for next year will meet their needs, compared to 9% who were not confident in their plan, reveals a recent Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey of 2,673 adults with health care coverage.

Only a small segment of individuals, 6%, indicated they would choose a different health plan, while the majority, 86%, intends to stick with what they’ve got. Another 7% weren’t sure, and 1% said they currently don’t have coverage, but would sign up.

Half of adults indicated their monthly premium charges would stay about the same, while 34% said premiums would get more expensive. Over two-thirds believe out-of-pocket costs, including copays and deductibles, would remain the same, while only 18% expect such costs to increase.

Very few Americans participate in health savings accounts, the poll shows. Only 5% of adults said they intend to enroll in an HSA for 2007, compared to 79% who said they did not. Only 17% plan to sign up for a flexible spending account, while 69% do not.

Article provided by Benefit News - 12-7-06

posted by Mike @ 12:55 PM