EBRI: ‘More than a Third of Americans Unwilling, Unsure of Vaccine’

EBRI, HSA, COVID

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The Employee Benefit Research Institute is out with concerning news.

Its annual Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey (CEHCS) found that only 55% of the adult population is willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and 24%, or nearly a quarter of those surveyed, said they would not get the vaccine. Nine percent say it depends, and 12% are still unsure about their vaccination decision.

When it comes to paying for the vaccine, 89% of survey respondents indicated they strongly or somewhat felt that their insurance company should cover the vaccine’s full cost. Yet 50% strongly or somewhat felt they would be willing to pay $100 or less for the vaccine, and 28% were willing to pay more than $100.

“The American public is clearly conflicted about taking a COVID-19 vaccine, but not about who should pay for it,” Paul Fronstin, director of EBRI’s health research program and co-author of the report, said in a statement. “It does appear that those who are committed to taking the vaccine are willing to pay up to $100 for it, even if they feel the responsibility should lie elsewhere.”

The impact on health care access during COVID-19

COVID-19 has largely impacted consumers’ ability to access health care. One in five Americans surveyed delayed a medical procedure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many expect delayed health care to be rescheduled later in 2020 or 2021.

The survey also showed consumers’ growing interest in increasing access to care through telemedicine. Over three in ten respondents gave a high rating to the importance of having telemedicine as an option for medical care in certain situations.

Still, six in ten have not had a telemedicine visit in 2020. Among those that had at least one telemedicine visit this year, 67%, or two-thirds, had a telemedicine visit with a doctor they had seen before.

Accelerated CDHP & HDHP enrollment in 2020

Traditional plan enrollees are much less likely to be familiar with consumer-driven health plans. Just 47% of traditional plan enrollees are at least somewhat familiar with consumer-driven plans, compared to the 74% of Americans enrolled in HDHPs.

One in five traditional plan owners with a choice of plans has the option for an HDH or CDHP. While most people making health care insurance enrollment decisions are concerned about having access to a good network of doctors and hospitals and easy access to health care and prescription drug coverage, there are differences between those who ultimately choose traditional plans and HDHPs. Enrollees in traditional health plans value low out-of-pocket costs, while HDHP enrollees value lower premiums.

Among consumers with HSAs, 69% use their accounts to pay for current expenses, and 67% of account holders view their HSA account as a savings account. Four in ten report they would be more likely to accumulate and invest unused funds if provided with an annual review of their HSA balance.

Consumers enrolled in an HDHP were 16% more likely than those with traditional coverage to say that they had checked whether the plan would cover care or medication. HDHP enrollees are more likely to review the quality rating of a doctor or hospital before receiving care; verify the price of a doctor’s visit, medication, or other service before receiving care; talk to their doctor about other treatment options and costs; talk to their doctor about prescription options and costs; use an online cost-tracking tool provided by the health plan; develop a budget to manage health care expenses; or decline a medical procedure because of costs.

Prescription drug use data from the CEHCS revealed that those in an HDHP were also more likely than those with traditional coverage to request a generic drug instead of a brand name or ask their doctor to recommend a less costly prescription drug.

“It is clear that HDHP enrollees value low premiums over low out-of-pocket costs, while traditional plan enrollees value low out-of-pocket costs over low premiums,” Fronstin concluded. “Therefore, it’s not surprising that traditional plan and HDHP enrollees behave differently when it comes to their health care.”

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