Before 2009, the majority of Americans polled said the Federal Government should take responsibility for ensuring that all citizens have health care. Now, as the January deadline for all persons to be enrolled in a health plan rings past, 56% of polled Americans say it’s not the government’s duty to get involved with health care.
In November, Gallup Politics posted an article charting responses to the question, “Do you think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care, or is that not the responsibility of the federal government?” The article illustrates a peak in 2006 when 69% of responders said it is the government’s duty to provide health care. Interestingly, since 2009 when Obama took office and the Health Care Reform creation began, there has been a sharp change in public opinion. As of November, 2013, only 42% of responders believe that the government should be responsible for health care.
Opinions aside, what’s important is how the changes will impact schools and educators. Only time will be able to reveal how the ACA will influence the education world. ISM conducted an Affordable Care Act survey in November 2013. (Results will be published in the ISM research area of our Web site in the coming months.)
More than 700 of our e-Letter readers participated in our online survey that asked their opinions concerning how the ACA would impact their school, their school’s benefits, where they obtained their information about the ACA, and their confidence in addressing ACA information to colleagues, among other questions.
Here are some of the highlights:
- 97% of responding schools offer health insurance for employees
- 62% of participants say they are confident when considering health insurance options for their school
- 58% of participants reported having little to moderate knowledge of ACA
- 59% of respondents rely on their broker for ACA updates, mandates, and deadlines; 31% rely on government Web sites; 18% rely on other Web sites
- 79% of respondents report having little to no knowledge of their state’s open marketplace for health care
- 95% of respondents greatly value working for a school that offers benefits
- 25% of respondents reported being concerned that their current benefits will be reduced and premiums increased as ACA is fully implemented
- 33% of participants reported no concern about the possible ACA impact on their school’s ability to offer health insurance
- 31% of respondents reported they are waiting to see how ACA policies will unfold over the coming years—they’re unsure if it will impact their school or not
Additional ISM articles of interest
Private School New Vol. 12 No. 5 Renewing Your Health Insurance Policies Early
