A
Opinion Surveys on Employment-Based Health Benefits and Related Issues
The following questions were part of surveys conducted by the Gallup Organization for the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Unless otherwise indicated, responses to questions represent combined results for November and December 1991 surveys. For these surveys, IOM staff worked with Dallas Salisbury, William Custer, and Laura Bos of EBRI to develop the questions. For some questions, certain response categories have been omitted in this summary. As a result, and also because of rounding errors, the totals below may not add up to 100.
Do you currently have health care coverage through either a health insurance plan, a health maintenance organization, or a government program?
Yes |
85% |
Of "Yes" respondents, source of coverage (could list more than one):
Employer (own/family member) program |
63 |
Government program |
18 |
Purchased on own |
13 |
Other answer |
11 |
Have you or a family member ever passed up a job opportunity or stayed in a job you would have preferred to have left solely because of health benefits? (November 1991 survey)
Yes |
11% |
Aged 18-34 |
17 |
Aged 35-54 |
10 |
Aged 55 and over |
4 |
Which of the following best describes the reason you or your family member chose not to change jobs? (November 1991 survey)
Prospective employer did not offer health benefits |
26% |
You or someone in your family had a medical condition the prospective employer's health plan did not cover |
9 |
Health benefits provided less coverage than you or a family member had previously |
24 |
The prospective employer's health plan cost too much |
19 |
None of these |
20 |
For your own health care and that of your family, which of the following is your biggest concern? (December 1991 survey)
Cost |
49% |
Quality |
36 |
Access and availability |
12 |
Everything/all |
1 |
For society as a whole, what do you think the biggest problem in health care is? (December 1991 survey)
Cost |
79% |
Access and availability |
13 |
Quality |
6 |
In the last few years, has your health insurance coverage? (November 1991 survey)
Gotten better overall |
16% |
Gotten worse overall |
24 |
Which best describes your satisfaction with your health benefits? (November 1991 survey)
Satisfied |
64% |
Would rather have additional health benefits and less salary |
20 |
Would rather have additional salary and fewer health benefits |
7 |
How much more money would you or your family member's employer have to give you each year to make you willing to give up your current employer-provided health benefits? (September 1991 EBRI/Gallup survey)
0-$1,000 |
11% |
$1,001-$3,000 |
19 |
$3,001-$5,000 |
15 |
$5,001 or more |
22 |
Don't know |
29 |
How would you characterize your health plan? (November 1991 survey)
Most of it is too hard to understand |
|
10% |
<12 grade education |
15 |
|
Some college |
12 |
|
College graduate |
5 |
|
Some of it is hard to understand |
|
36 |
It is easy to understand |
|
52 |
Does your employer offer you a choice of two or more health insurance plans or is only one plan available to you? (November 1991 survey)
Offers choice |
36% |
Only one plan available |
36 |
Not applicable/no employer |
26 |
How do you rate your current health insurance benefits?
Excellent |
27% |
Good |
46 |
Fair |
20 |
Poor |
6 |
Don't know |
3 |
You are confident that your employer (your spouse's employer) contracts with the best available health insurance plan(s) for its employees. (November 1991 survey)
Agree |
71% |
Disagree |
24 |
Don't know |
5 |
Many companies, insurers, and government programs have adopted measures to eliminate unnecessary expenditures on health care and to save costs by promoting cost-effective care. Have these cost management measures resulted in any of the following? (''Yes" respondents) (November 1991 survey)
Your being denied health care services you think you needed? |
9% |
Your experiencing unreasonable hassle or delays in obtaining health care services? |
17 |
Your being required to receive health care services from a physician you would not have otherwise chosen? |
16 |
If your doctor recommends that you have a diagnostic test or treatment that is not covered by your health insurance, would you: (November 1991 survey)
Follow his or her advice and pay for it yourself |
34% |
Attempt to weigh the benefits of the recommendation against the cost before making a decision |
20 |
Approach your employer or insurance company to see if an exception could be made |
38 |
Does your household maintain a relationship with a physician who could be called your personal or family doctor?
Yes |
|
76% |
Male |
72 |
|
Female |
80 |
|
Aged 18-34 |
69 |
|
Aged 35-54 |
78 |
|
Aged 55 and over |
84 |
|
Income under $20,000 |
70 |
|
Income $20,000 to <$75,000 |
79 |
|
Income $75,000 and > |
83 |
|
White |
78 |
|
Minority |
69 |
|
In the last five years, has your household had to involuntarily change your personal or family physician?
Yes |
18% |
If yes to [above question], which of the following statements best describes the reason for that change? (December 1991 survey)
Doctor moved/closed practice/retired |
26% |
Respondent moved |
15 |
Respondent changed jobs |
15 |
Health plan required change/employer changed plan |
17 |
Selected another health plan from employer |
4 |
Other |
24 |
Which of the following groups is in the best position to make decisions about the quality of health care provided by a hospital or physician? (December 1991 survey)
Employer |
10% |
Individual |
55 |
Government |
32 |
All the same |
1 |
Which of the following groups do you think is in the best position to influence the cost of health care? (December 1991 survey)
Employer |
11% |
Individual |
14 |
Government |
28 |
Doctor |
23 |
Insurers |
20 |
All the same |
2 |
Who do you think should be most responsible for providing health benefits for full-time employees and their dependents in the U.S.? (December 1991 survey)
Employers |
48% |
Federal government |
31 |
Individual |
14 |
All the same |
3 |
If you had the choice, which of the following organizations would you prefer to purchase your health benefits through? (November 1991 survey)
An employer |
39% |
A trade association, union or professional group |
8 |
State government |
5 |
Federal government |
16 |
On your own |
25 |
Do you think employers should be required to provide health insurance if the employees pay a portion of the costs? (July 1991 survey)
Yes |
83% |
No |
16 |
In general, do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose the implementation by the U.S. government of some type of national health insurance system? (January 1992 survey)
Strongly favor |
25% |
Favor |
54 |
Oppose |
14 |
Strongly oppose |
4 |
Which of the following do you think is the better way to deal with our nation's health care problems? (Gallup poll for CNN and USA Today, January 28, 1992)
Reform of our current private health care system |
64% |
Government-sponsored national health insurance |
30 |