Consumers Not Concerned with Major Health Insurers Missing from Exchanges

The majority of consumers are not concerned with seeing popular health plans in new health exchanges, according to new survey results from HealthPocket.

With two weeks until the first exchanges open on October 1, concerns lingered regarding decisions to not apply or to withdraw applications by some major brand names, such as Aetna and UnitedHealthcare, and how that would affect consumer activity. However, 69.5 percent of respondents said this would not deter them or make them feel like they weren’t getting the best deal possible.

The poll results suggest consumers are willing to trust that the plans that have agreed to participate in this restructured environment will create competition without the presence of several big brands.

Despite consumer optimism, the lineup of carriers remains incomplete, and results will depend on location, with anywhere from one to 15 options being made available.

The report stated that United will be participating in marketplaces in no more than 12 states. Aetna will participate in no more than nine states. Indeed, in many states carriers electing not to participate in the exchanges can instead sell their plans outside of exchanges. While these off-exchange plans must still comply with the requirements of Obamacare, some of the major brands that are not participating in exchanges are expected to offer their products in this way.

Results are based on 697 responses to a nationwide online survey conducted over the course of four days earlier this month.

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