A new survey found that nearly two-thirds of presently uninsured Americans may not seek health insurance by Obamacare’s deadline
According to InsuranceQuotes.com, 64 percent of those without health insurance haven’t decided whether they will purchase any by Jan. 1, as required by the Affordable Care Act.
Currently there are an estimated 48.1 million uninsured Americans. Some would be eligible for Medicaid coverage, others could purchase insurance through government-run exchanges.
For some, the penalty for not buying health insurance is a better deal than paying for a full policy. Ten percent say they will stay uninsured and pay the penalty, which in 2014 could be as little as $95.
These uninsured Americans may be forced to comply as the penalty gradually increases in the coming years.
Only 19 percent of those surveyed said they would get coverage by the Jan. 1 deadline.
“Many people are taking a wait-and-see attitude,” Amy Bach, executive director of the insurance consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, said in a statement accompanying 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.”
Sixty-one percent of respondents said that they cannot afford health insurance and are unsure that will change after the law goes into effect next year. Most people are unaware of the subsidies they may be eligible for and some may live in states that are not participating in the Medicaid expansion.
Similarly, 61 percent think that health care costs will rise because of the new law.
“There’s definitely going to be some pain with this change,” Bach said.
A recent report by the Society of Actuaries found that individual claim costs will increase by 32 percent.
This has led to conflicts between congressional Republicans and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over funding Obamacare implementation and making people aware of the law’s benefits.
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