Dive Brief:
- An October poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 11% of uninsured people surveyed were aware that open enrollment will begin next month. 10% said it wasn't until 2015. The upcoming enrollment period will be Nov. 15 through Feb. 15, 2015.
- The survey results are similar to those before open enrollment last year. But with millions signing onto the exchanges this year and the intense media coverage of the Affordable Care Act, it is surprising so many individuals are unaware of the enrollment times. Two-thirds of the uninsured also knew "only a little" or "nothing at all" about the marketplaces and more than half were not aware that they might qualify for subsidies.
- More than eight million people signed up for the exchanges last year. People remaining uninsured now are likely ones that are more difficult to reach. According to the survey, nearly half have been uninsured for at least two years; more than 60% are low-income and many may speak English as a second language—17% took the survey in Spanish.
Dive Insight:
Uninsured individuals may be foggy on the enrollment information, but more than half did say they planned to get some kind of coverage. 15% said they would get coverage from an employer, another 15% through private markets or the exchanges and 8% through Medicaid. More than 20% of the respondents said they will get it, but are not sure from where. Only 3% of all uninsured respondents did not plan to get coverage, citing cost as the biggest barrier to becoming insured.