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Survey: 36% of Obamacare Enrollees Without Subsidies Pay $1,000 Or More in Premiums

More than half of consumers do not know that Obamacare open enrollment ends this week

Obamacare
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December 13, 2017

More than one-third of Obamacare enrollees surveyed (36 percent) who do not qualify for a subsidy are paying $1,000 or more in premiums each month, according to a survey from eHealth. Eighty-one percent of those without subsidies are paying $500 or more each month for their premium.

For those without a subsidy, 75 percent say they pay about $300 or less for coverage. Of that group, 36 percent say they pay about $100 or less for coverage. Only 12 percent say they have enrolled in a plan where there is no premium at all.

"People with subsidized coverage report that their biggest concern is paying their annual deductible (32 percent) rather than their monthly premiums (22 percent)," the survey explains. "Consumers not eligible for subsidies are more concerned about their ability to pay monthly premiums (43 percent) than for their annual deductible (17 percent)."

The survey found that even if Obamacare's individual mandate is repealed, a majority of consumers would still purchase health insurance. Seventy-seven percent of consumers without subsidies say they would still buy health insurance, and 65 percent of those who qualify for subsidies say they would purchase health insurance.

Still, the survey finds that more than half of respondents do not know Obamacare's open enrollment ends this week. Fifty-six percent of eHealth consumers said they were unaware that enrollment for Obamacare ends on Friday.

"Our survey shows that even among consumers who are proactively shopping for new 2018 plans, a majority don't know that this year's open enrollment period is half the length of last year's," said Scott Flanders, CEO of eHealth. "It's important that people get the message: This may be your last chance to enroll in 2018 health insurance coverage."

Published under: Obamacare