Poll: 81 percent satisfied with ObamaCare plans

A new survey finds that 81 percent those enrolled in ObamaCare plans are satisfied with their health insurance. 

{mosads}The survey from the Commonwealth Fund, a health research group, found that 45 percent of people enrolled through ObamaCare’s marketplaces are “somewhat satisfied,” and 36 percent are “very satisfied.” Fifteen percent are not satisfied. 

ObamaCare also expanded Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor, in states that agreed to accept the expansion — 29 so far. The survey finds that 93 percent of people enrolled in Medicaid are satisfied with their plans. 

A separate Commonwealth Fund report noted that ObamaCare has encouraged the trend of insurers covering narrow networks of doctors. But the survey finds that 91 percent of people with new ObamaCare coverage who have used their plans are satisfied with the doctors covered. 

There generally were not long wait times for getting a doctor’s appointment, either. Sixty percent were able to get an appointment with a new primary care doctor within two weeks. Eleven percent had to wait more than 30 days. 

A major question around the law has been how many people who have signed up were previously uninsured. The survey finds that more than half — 53 percent — of people enrolled through ObamaCare’s marketplaces were previously uninsured. 

However, the report finds that there remains a lack of knowledge about key aspects of the law. Just 46 percent of the uninsured are aware that financial assistance for buying insurance is available under the law. That’s more than the 29 percent who were aware in 2013, but about the same as the 47 percent aware last year. 

And the lack of knowledge appears to have an effect. The leading reason — with 60 percent — that uninsured people cite for not visiting ObamaCare’s marketplace is that they think they could not afford insurance.