Consumer Survey: U.S. Healthcare, 2020 Election, and More

Our latest national consumer survey reaching 1,000 registered voters measured feelings about the U.S. healthcare system, the U.S. economy during the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Presidential election and telemedicine.

The survey comes at a crucial decision-making time of the year when the U.S. Presidential election, health insurance open enrollment period, and the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period are fast approaching for many Americans.

The United States Healthcare System

When rating the U.S. healthcare system:

• 36% said fair.
• 27% said good.
• 24% said poor.
• 11% said excellent.
• 2% were unsure.

When asked if our healthcare system has changed for the better or worse due to COVID-19:

• 45% felt it was unchanged.
• 33% felt it was worse.
• 14% said it was better.
• 8% were unsure.

Also of note, 69% said giving more control to patients and doctors is the key to improving the United States healthcare system. Meanwhile, 11% chose giving more control to government officials and bureaucrats. And 20% were not sure how to improve it.

Participants were also asked about the quality of U.S. healthcare services since the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”) was enacted: 31% said the quality of healthcare has gone down, while 29% said it’s gone up.

Lastly, 84% of our respondents said the cost of all health care services, procedures, and medications should be made available in advance to patients.

The 2020 Presidential Election

Our survey also honed in on what’s most important to people in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election: healthcare reform, the economy, civil rights, law and order, government corruption, and our response to COVID-19.

Here’s how our participants responded:

• 95% said the U.S. economy is an important issue.
• 91% said government corruption is an important issue.
• 88% said our nation’s response to COVID-19 is an important issue.
• 88% said healthcare reform is an important issue.
• 86% said civil rights is an important issue.
• 85% said law and order is an important issue.

Health Insurance in the United States

Our survey also gauged feelings on an array of health insurance and employment topics, including consumer feelings about health insurance, a proposal to ban private insurance, and COVID-19 impacts on health insurance.

When it comes to our respondents’ feelings on their health insurance:

• 38% rated their health insurance as good.
• 26% rated their health insurance as excellent.
• 23% rated their health insurance as fair.
• 10% rated their health insurance as poor.

And when asked what type of health insurance has the best medical care coverage:

• 40% said employer-sponsored coverage.
• 21% said Medicare.
• 19% were unsure.
• 12% said Medicaid.
• 9% said Obamacare.

Of note, 25% of our respondents have lost or know someone who lost their health insurance during COVID-19. For those who are employed, 38% are reluctant to switch jobs right now because they want to keep their current health insurance.

Last but not least, the survey gauged a possible proposal to ban all private health insurance companies and require every American to get their coverage through the federal government. When asked about this concept, 15% of respondents strongly favored the proposal, while 35% were strongly opposed.

As for the rest of the group, 19% were somewhat in favor and 18% were somewhat opposed to the proposal.

Employment and Working From Home

Our national survey also covered what’s important when considering or accepting a new job. In the “very important” category:

• 78% said salary.
• 66% said health insurance.
• 49% said time off.
• 33% said working from home.

Although working from home has the lowest percentage on the “very important” scale, it turned out to be top-of-mind for some respondents. 49% felt that working remotely is better for overall health and well-being, and 40% would take a pay cut to work from home.

Pulse Check on COVID-19 Testing

Over the course of our survey series, we’ve gathered opinions about Coronavirus testing.

Here are the latest findings:

• 60% were not worried about the cost of Coronavirus treatment - a decrease from the percentage we’ve seen over the past few months.
• 52% thought frequent COVID-19 testing is the best way to control the spread.
• 52% thought every child should be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis.

The Latest on Telemedicine

Telemedicine use during the coronavirus pandemic is another topic we’ve kept an eye on. In our latest survey, 79% had not used telemedicine prior to the pandemic, but 43% have used telemedicine during the pandemic.

While highlighting several advantages of telemedicine versus visiting a doctor in person, we asked our respondents which telemedicine perk is most appealing to them.

• 55% said avoiding the waiting room.
• 47% said convenient scheduling.
• 47% said the wait times were better.
• 38% said getting care from home.

Full Current Events in the United States Survey Results

Click here to download the full results.

Our Survey Methodology

The above survey results were gathered through a national survey of 1,000 registered voters, which was conducted September 4 - 8, 2020. The survey has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

See More Healthinsurance.com Surveys

• August 2020: Multigenerational Perspectives on COVID-19
• July 2020: Medicare Eligible Seniors Survey Findings: Technology, COVID-19, the 2020 Election and More
• June 2020: Healthcare Technology, Self-Care and More
• May 2020: Testing, Mental Health, and More
• April 2020: Economic Impacts and Health Insurance Trends
• March 2020: Telemedicine Usage During COVID-19