Poll: Majority will buy own health plan, even without mandate
The vast majority of people say they will continue to buy their own health insurance, even without an individual mandate requiring they do so, according to a new poll.
The March Kaiser Health Tracking Poll surveyed non-group health plan enrollees about the individual mandate and their health coverage.
As part of the Republican tax plan signed at the end of 2017, lawmakers eliminated the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate penalty beginning in 2019.
Only about 19 percent of respondents were aware the mandate penalty had been repealed but is still in effect for this year. Regardless, 90 percent of respondents said they will continue to purchase their own insurance, even with the individual mandate repeal.
About 34 percent of respondents said the mandate was a “major reason” why they purchased insurance in the first place.
The poll also found that about half of the public believes the health plan marketplaces are collapsing. The rate is higher (about 60 percent) among those who purchase plans through the marketplaces.
Among those who are uninsured, the top reason for not having health insurance is its high cost (36 percent) and job-related issues, such as unemployment or their employer not offering health insurance (20 percent).
Marissa Harshman
I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.