The Importance of Mental Health: Why is Mental Health Important?
Mar 2013 tracking charts final
1. Not heard
enough to
say
78%
Announced
state will
not expand
Medicaid
7%
Has not
announced
decision
6%
Dk/ Ref.
2%
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Few Have Heard About State Decisions on Exchanges and
Medicaid Expansion
As far as you know, has your state’s governor
announced that your state will expand Medicaid,
announced that your state will not expand Medicaid,
not announced their decision, or have you not heard
enough about this to say?
Nothing at
all
48%
Only a little
29%
Some
15%
A lot
7%
How much, if anything have you heard about your
state’s decision on whether to create a state-run
health insurance exchange or marketplace where
people who don’t get coverage through their jobs can
shop for insurance?
Announced
state will
expand
Medicaid
7%
2. NOTE: Other/Neither (vol.) and Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
More Favor Expanding Their State’s Medicaid Program Than
Oppose
As you may know, the health care law expands Medicaid to provide health insurance to more low-income uninsured
adults. The federal government will initially pay the entire cost of this expansion, and after several years, states will
pay 10 percent and the federal government will pay 90 percent. The Supreme Court ruled that states may choose
whether or not to participate in this expansion. What do you think your state should do?
67%
46%
20%
41%
26%
44%
76%
52%
Republicans
Independents
Democrats
Total
Keep Medicaid as it is today Expand Medicaid to cover more low-income people
3. SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Public: What Health Cost Growth Slowdown?
Going up
faster than
usual
58%
Going up
about the
same
amount as
usual
31%
Dk/Ref.
7%
Going up
slower than
usual
4%
Over the past few years, would you say the cost of
health care for the nation as a whole has been going
up faster than usual, going up slower than usual, or
going up abut the same amount?
Going up
faster than
usual
34%
Going up
about the
same
amount as
usual
24%
Going up
slower than
usual
2%
Staying
about the
same
32%
Dk/Ref.
4%
Going down
2%
Would you say the amount you and your family are
paying for health care and health insurance has been
going up over the past few years, going down, or staying
about the same? (If going up) Would you say your health
care costs have been going up faster than usual, slower
than usual, or about the same amount?
4. 46
41
48
50
43
49
42
42 42
41
43 42 4142 42 42
39
41
34
37
41
37
42
41
42
37
41
38 38
45
38
43
3637%
40
44
41
35
45
40
44
40 41
50
48
46
41
44
46
43 44 43
51
44 43 44 43
40
43 44
41
44 43
40
43
39
42
40%
14 14
10
14
12 11
15
18 18
9 8
13
18
14
12
15
17 16 15
19
17
19
15
19
15
19 18 17
19
14
19 19
23 23%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct Nov Feb Mar
2010 2011 2012 2013
Favorable Unfavorable Don't know/Refused
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
At Three Years, Opinion On ACA Remains Divided
As you may know, a health reform bill was signed into law in 2010. Given what you know about the health reform
law, do you have a generally favorable or generally unfavorable opinion of it?
ACA signed into law
on March 23, 2010
5. SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Three Years Later, Public Still Divided by Party
78
72
69
73
68
75
69 68 69
73
66
71
64
72
65 64
60
65
52
62
64
62
64
66
70
62
71
69
64
72
64
72
5758%
36 37
49 48
41 42
34
37 37
34
43
37
41
35
33
38
33
36
32
34 33
30
40 40 39
34
38
35 34
41
32
37
32
31%
13
8
23
21
16
21
11
15
12 12 11
9
12
17
20
16
24
14
11 12
19
12
16
12
7 8 7
12
8
16
10
12 12
18%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct Nov Feb Mar
2010 2011 2012 2013
Democrats Independents Republicans
Percent who say they have a favorable opinion of the health reform law:
ACA signed into law
on March 23, 2010
6. 15% 14% 13% 14% 15%
11%
14%
19%
17%
20%
17%
20%
18% 18% 18%
21%
19%
22%
66%
71%
68% 69% 68%
72%
67%
64%
62%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Dec Feb Mar May Jul Nov Mar Aug Mar
2010 2011 2012 2013
Percent who say someone in their family has personally benefited from the health reform law
Percent who say someone in their family has been negatively affected by the health reform law
Percent who say they have not been personally impacted yet
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Most Report No Experience With Law So Far
So far, would you say you and your family have [personally benefited from/been negatively affected by] the health
reform law, or not?
7. NOTE: Items asked of half sample. Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm) for complete
wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Many Elements Of Health Reform Law Continue To Be
Popular Across Parties
Percent who say they feel favorable about each of the following elements of the health reform law:
Total Dem Ind Rep
Tax credits to small businesses to buy insurance 88% 96% 87% 83%
Close Medicare “doughnut hole” 81 90 80 74
Create health insurance exchanges 80 87 78 72
Extension of dependent coverage 76 84 79 68
Subsidy assistance to individuals 76 91 69 61
Medicaid expansion 71 88 70 42
Guaranteed issue 66 75 67 56
Medical loss ratio 65 72 60 62
Increase Medicare payroll tax on upper income 60 80 54 37
Employer mandate/penalty for large employers 57 79 54 36
Individual mandate/penalty 40 55 39 21
8. 43%
47%
44%
39%
51%
41%
56%
52%
55%
59%
47%
57%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Apr Mar Nov Mar Apr Mar
2010 2011 2012 2013
Yes, have enough information No, do not have enough information
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Nearly Six in Ten Say They Don’t Understand How ACA Will
Impact Them
Do you feel you have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it will impact you
personally, or not?
9. NOTE: Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Majority Say They Don’t Understand How ACA Will Impact
Them, Including Two-Thirds of Uninsured and Low-Income
Do you feel you have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it will impact you
personally, or not?
30%
33%
41%
68%
67%
57%
Household income less than $40,000
Uninsured (under age 65)
Total
Yes, have enough information No, do not have enough information
10. NOTE: Items asked of half sample. Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm) for complete
wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Awareness of Provisions Included in the ACA
To the best of your knowledge, would you say the health reform law does or does not do each of the following?
CORRECT
Yes, law does
this
INCORRECT
No, law does
not do this
Don’t
know/Refused
Individual mandate/penalty 74% 17% 9%
Employer mandate/penalty for large employers 71 17 11
Extension of dependent coverage 69 20 11
Subsidy assistance to individuals 62 29 9
Medicaid expansion 59 25 17
Health insurance exchanges 58 29 13
Increase the Medicare payroll tax on upper income 54 27 19
Guaranteed issue 53 36 11
Tax credits to small businesses to buy insurance 52 26 22
Close Medicare “doughnut hole” 46 31 22
Medical loss ratio 40 37 23
11. NOTE: Items asked of half sample. Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm) for complete
wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Misperceptions About Provisions Not Included in the Law
To the best of your knowledge, would you say the health reform law does or does not do each of the following?
CORRECT
No, law does
not do this
INCORRECT
Yes, law does
this
Don’t
know/Refused
Cut benefits for people in Medicare 43% 44% 14%
Establish a government panel to make decisions
about end-of-life care for people on Medicare
39 40 21
Allow undocumented immigrants to receive
subsidies to purchase insurance
33 47 21
Public option 28 57 15
12. 88%
81%
80%
76%
76%
71%
66%
65%
60%
57%
40%
52%
46%
58%
69%
62%
59%
53%
40%
54%
71%
74%
Tax credits to small businesses to buy insurance
Close Medicare "doughnut hole"
Create health insurance exchanges
Extension of dependent coverage
Subsidy assistance to individuals
Medicaid expansion
Guaranteed issue
Medical loss ratio
Increase Medicare payroll tax
Employer mandate/penalty for large employers
Individual mandate/penalty
Percent with a favorable view of element Percent who are aware element is included in ACA
NOTE: Items asked of separate half samples. Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm)
for complete wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Most Popular Provisions Among Least Widely Recognized
(And Vice Versa)
Percent who say they feel favorable about each of the following and percent who say they are aware each is
included in the health reform law:
13. NOTE: Items asked of half sample. Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm) for complete
wording.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Declines in Awareness of Some Key Provisions
Percent who say the health reform law does each of the following:
April 2010 March 2013
Tax credits to small businesses to buy insurance 66% 52%
Subsidy assistance to individuals 75 62
Guaranteed issue 64 53
Medicaid expansion 64 59
Health insurance exchanges 62 58
Medical loss ratio 37 40
Extension of dependent coverage 70 69
Individual mandate/penalty 71 74
14. 31
29
28 32
29
32 31
25
32
20
28
26 27 28
24
27
24
27
18
23
26 26
27
26 26
23
25 26
31
26
24
21%
30
32
39
33 36
33 32 34
28
44
38 39
37 38 35
39
37 34
44
41 39
35
41
34 34
37 37 37
33 33
36
40%
32
30
28 29
30
28
29
31
33 32 31 30
28 28
34
29
33 32
31 31 31
33
25
33 32 31
32
30
26
32
32
29%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jun Jul AugSep Oct NovDec Jan Feb Mar AprMay Jul AugSep Oct Feb Mar
2010 2011 2012 2013
Better off Won't make much difference Worse off
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Trend in Opinion on Personal Impact of ACA
Do you think you and your family will be better off or worse off under the health reform law, or don’t you think it will
make much difference?
ACA signed into law
on March 23, 2010
15. NOTE: Items asked of half sample. Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted March 5-10, 2013)
Expectations for ACA’s Impact on Cost and Quality More
Negative Than Positive
Under the health reform law, do you think each of the following will get better, worse, or will it stay about the same?
55%
45%
39%
28%
49%
34%
28%
18%
26%
36%
24%
33%
48%
46%
21%
24%
16%
40%
15%
15%
20%
The cost of health care for the nation as a whole
The quality of health care in the nation
Consumer protections for the average person with private health insurance
Access to health care for the uninsured
The cost of health care for you and your family
The quality of your own health care
Your ability to get and keep health insurance
Worse Stay about the same Better
NATIONAL IMPACTS
PERSONAL IMPACTS
16. Methodology
This Kaiser Health Tracking Poll was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family
Foundation led by Mollyann Brodie, Ph.D., including Liz Hamel, Claudia Deane, Sarah Cho, and Bianca DiJulio. The
survey was conducted March 5-10, 2013, among a nationally representative random digit dial telephone sample of
1,204 adults ages 18 and older, living in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii (note: persons without a
telephone could not be included in the random selection process). Computer-assisted telephone interviews
conducted by landline (602) and cell phone (602, including 315 who had no landline telephone) were carried out
in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates
International (PSRAI). The combined landline and cell phone sample was weighted to balance the sample
demographics to match Census estimates for the national population on sex, age, education, race, Hispanic origin,
nativity (for Hispanics only), region and telephone usage.
All statistical tests of significance account for the effect of weighting. The margin of sampling error including the
design effect for the full sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For results based on subgroups, the margin
of sampling error may be higher. Note that sampling error is only one of many potential sources of error in this or
any other public opinion poll.
The full question wording and methodology of the polls can be viewed online at:
http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8425.cfm