07 Nov Almost Half Of Workers Don’t Know What Impact Affordable Care Act Will Have On Them
Originally posted November 06, 2013 on https://www.insurancebroadcasting.com
Online resources cited as most reliable source of information about law
COLUMBIA, S.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A survey conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company shows nearly half of American workers don’t feel knowledgeable about how the Affordable Care Act will impact them personally.
“Despite all the attention the Affordable Care Act has received in the past few years, nearly half of American workers still say they don’t know much about it”
In a poll of more than 1,000 U.S. employees (full-time and/or part-time)1, 47 percent of workers say they are not very knowledgeable or not at all knowledgeable about the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on them. Thirty-three percent say they’re not very knowledgeable about the law and its proposed personal impact, and 14 percent say they’re not at all knowledgeable.
“Despite all the attention the Affordable Care Act has received in the past few years, nearly half of American workers still say they don’t know much about it,” says Steve Bygott, assistant vice president of core market services at Colonial Life.
In other survey findings, 48 percent of workers say federal government websites are the most reliable source of information about the ACA and its personal impact on them. They rated internet or other online news sources as the next most reliable, cited by 44 percent of employees. Other sources viewed as reliable options include:
Their employers or HR departments
36 percent
Insurance company websites or literature
30 percent
TV news programs
25 percent
Printed magazines or newspapers
20 percent
Family or friends
18 percent
Other
8 percent
“Workers clearly need help understanding this law and its personal impact on them and their families,” says Bygott. “Because employers are viewed as one of the top three sources of reliable information on this topic, they have a tremendous opportunity to help their workers get the information they need when they communicate their benefits programs.”
Survey results were included as part of a white paper recently published by Colonial Life called “Beyond Health Care Reform.” The research paper outlines what employers should know about health care reform, employee benefits and the subsequent need for increased benefits education.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Colonial Life from September 3-5, 2013 among 2,046 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,023 are employed full-time or part-time. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jeanna Moffett at Colonial Life at JMoffett@ColonialLife.com.
1 Online survey conducted within the United States for Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company by Harris Interactive, Sept. 3-5, 2013, among 2,046 U.S. adults age 18 and older, among whom 1,023 are employed full-time or part-time.