Health Care Consumer Confidence Index

Posted by on October 26, 2009

Consumer Confidence in Health Care Rises Slightly in September
Concern over losing health care coverage continues to grow; three-fourths of Americans believe that health reform would improve access to care.

As the White House stepped up efforts to communicate its vision for health reform following the August recess, Americans’ confidence in their health insurance coverage—and ability to access health care—rose slightly in September. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care Consumer Confidence Index (RWJF Index) rose in September to 96.6, up from 96.1 in August.

Despite the small uptick in overall confidence, the September survey saw continued growth in the number of Americans who are worried about losing health coverage. In September, 33.4 percent of Americans reported that they are worried about losing their health insurance at some point in the next 12 months, up from 29.0 percent in August. When the survey began in April, 21.6 percent of Americans reported worries about losing insurance.

The survey also found that people believe that access to care will increase or stay the same if the health system is reformed. More than two-thirds (67.4%) of American believe that access to health care for the nation will improve or stay the same under health reform. Additionally three-fourths (74.5%) believe that their personal access to care will improve or stay the same.

“Even though overall consumer confidence in the economy has grown in recent months, confidence in health care has remained flat,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Despite rising faith in the strength of our economy, people still feel financially pinched and increasingly concerned that they could lose their health care coverage and access to care. They view enacting health reform as a positive step towards ensuring that they have access to affordable and high quality health care.”

The RWJF Index is created from data collected by the Surveys of Consumers, with analysis of the data provided by the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC). The survey evaluates consumer confidence along a spectrum of economic issues including American health care.

Read more at: http://rwjf.org/healthreform/product.jsp?id=49734