Attitudes Toward the Health Insurance Marketplace in Iowa

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), each state must establish an exchange (now commonly referred to as Health Insurance Marketplaces-HIMs) where individuals can learn about and purchase health care coverage with subsidies available to all Americans whose income falls between 100% of the federal poverty limit (FPL), and 400%.

In collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Interagency Workgroup on Health Care Reform, the Public Policy Center and College of Public Health conducted two surveys, one to consumers and one to businesses, as potential users of the HIM to evaluate their insurance purchasing needs and knowledge about the ACA and HIMs in order to help the State design and structure the education and outreach programs for the HIM.

Consumer survey

To better understand the knowledge and needs of individual consumers, we surveyed 500 potential consumers of the health insurance marketplace in Iowa. The consumer survey had 43 questions concerning their: 1) demographics, 2) ACA knowledge and attitudes, 3) current insurance and attitudes about insurance, and 4) knowledge of, assistance needed and preferences about the health insurance marketplace.  About 500 responded to the survey.

 

The report is available at:

Business survey

To better understand the knowledge and needs of businesses in Iowa, we surveyed about 50 businesses about their current provision of insurance and potential purchase through the health insurance marketplace in Iowa. The analyses are currently underway and will be available about mid-November, 2013.