When it comes to health insurance, New Jersey appear to have two strongly held views:
1. They understand the process;
2. They feel the state does not.
Such was the findings of the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, done in collaboration with the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, and released Wednesday morning.
Among those who have health insurance, 84% percent say they are confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (41% “very,” 43% “somewhat”) and 71% are confident in their understanding of the difference health insurance plan options available to them (32% “very,” 39% “somewhat”).
Ashley Koning, the director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers-New Brunswick, detailed the findings, which come when many are choosing a health plan for next year.
“New Jersey voters show a notable degree of confidence in navigating their health insurance, but many continue to grapple with a system they view as complicated, costly, and shaped by forces beyond their control,” she said. “The results point to a public that feels prepared to make choices within the system yet remains concerned about the affordability of care and the extent of the state’s role in shaping available options.”
The poll also put a spotlight on the state government’s role in the private insurance marketplace in New Jersey, particularly Trenton’s level of influence on the rules, regulations and requirements that govern insurance plans.
Slightly more than 7 in 10 New Jersey voters say they are concerned (37% “very,” 35% “somewhat”) about the state government’s influence. Meanwhile, 15% percent say they are “not very” concerned and 5% are not concerned at all.
Voters aged 18-34 are less likely to feel confident in both their understanding of their chosen plan (73%) and the different health insurance options available to them (56%) than those 35 and older. And those with some college education or less schooling are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (80%) than those with more schooling (88%).
Voters who have an insurance plan through employment are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their health insurance plan options (71%) than those enrolled in either Medicare or Medicaid (82%).
“This survey underscores the value of the broker in helping New Jerseyans understand their options to enable them in purchasing the health insurance that best suits their families’ needs,” NABIP-NJ President Jim Lardiere said. “Health insurance brokers can be a key element in the process of purchasing insurance, driving costs down by fully educating the consumer and ensuring premium dollars are not being wasted on plans that are generally beyond the needs of the policy holder.”
Results are from a statewide poll of 795 voters contacted via live calling and texting from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17. This registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.
