A strong majority of Americans are highly satisfied with their employer-sponsored health coverage, a new poll from public opinion research firm Seven Letter Insights finds.
The poll was commissioned by the Protecting Americans Coverage Together campaign — a coalition that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — and comes as a new Congress begins its first session. A total of 2,334 people from a representative sample of the overall population were surveyed. “Nearly half of Americans receive health care coverage through their employer, and it’s clear they want to protect what’s working for them,” said Corey Astill, vice president of health and retirement at Business Roundtable. “This survey validates the investments U.S. businesses are making in their workers. It’s imperative that public policy continues to bolster — not weaken — employer-sponsored insurance.”
The survey found that:
- 54 percent of respondents were “highly satisfied” with their insurance
- 87 percent called their plans “affordable”
- More than 70 percent agreed their health insurance is worth what they pay for it
Additionally, 96 percent of employees reported viewing their health insurance as either “extremely important” (83 percent) or “very important (13 percent). As a result, 89 percent of Americans said they preferred to obtain their health coverage through an employer rather than other means.
“Employees value their employer-sponsored health coverage, and they believe it is fundamentally important for employers to offer it,” said Katie Mahoney, vice president of health policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “ESI (employer-sponsored insurance) is working for the people with access to it, and the goal of policymakers should be to strengthen and bolster the system to help more people.”