Results of a survey released Nov. 12 by eHealth, Inc. (eHealth.com) show that while strong majorities of consumers support proposals to lower the cost of prescription drugs, Americans are sharply split on “Medicare for all” proposals and on whether such proposals might ever become reality.
Highlights from eHealth survey include the following:
- Many doubt “Medicare for all” would be implemented: If a candidate supporting “Medicare for all” such as Elizabeth Warren (shown above) or Bernie Sanders is elected as president in 2020, fewer than one-third (31%) think it likely that such a program would be implemented; 48% consider it unlikely.
- People enrolled in ACA plans more likely than Medicare enrollees to support “Medicare for all” candidates: 41% of respondents enrolled in ACA health plans would support a “Medicare for all” candidate, compared to 33% of Medicare enrollees. In an October 2018 eHealth survey, 31% of Medicare enrollees said all Americans should have access to Medicare-like coverage.
- Women are more likely than men to support “Medicare for all”: 38% of women said they would support a “Medicare for all” candidate, compared to 32% of men; by contrast, 44% of men said they would not support such a candidate, compared to 31% of women.
- Most support government action to lower drug costs: 87% of respondents support government initiatives to negotiate directly with drug makers, while 74% support government initiatives to import drugs from outside the United States.
- Some consumers are already buying lower-cost drugs from outside the U.S.: 21% of ACA plan enrollees with an income between $75,000 and $100,000 have purchased drugs from outside the country in order to save money.
Read the full report.
eHealth’s findings are compiled from voluntary surveys of consumers who purchased Medicare plans or individual and family plans compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through eHealth. Surveys were conducted in October 2019 and a total of 1,860 responses were received.
About eHealth: eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) owns eHealth.com, a leading private online health insurance exchange where individuals, families and small businesses can compare health insurance products from brand-name insurers side by side and purchase and enroll in coverage online and over the phone.
