Policy

What do patients want out of a healthcare law?

A recent poll from PatientsLikeMe asked 2,755 patients with chronic or progressive degenerative conditions about their thoughts on healthcare in America.

Paper made silhouettes with one of them of orange color to stand out from the rest

There has been unceasing talk of changes to the nation’s healthcare system. But as we watch legislators debate, we often forget to ask a crucial question: What do the people think?

A new poll from PatientsLikeMe, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based personalized health network, has the answer.

In January, PatientsLikeMe surveyed 2,197 patients with chronic conditions about their thoughts on the ACA. About four months later, in May, the network once again asked patients to weigh in on healthcare.

“We felt that a follow-up to the first poll done in January 2017 would help us understand the sentiment of patients and ensure their voices were heard and included in the emerging national conversation about health and healthcare,” Sally Okun, PatientsLikeMe’s vice president of advocacy, policy and patient safety, told MedCity via email.

PatientsLikeMe’s latest poll was conducted from May 4 through May 9, 2017. Approximately 2,755 patients with chronic or progressive degenerative conditions responded.

According to the results, 95 or more percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the following aspects should be covered under a national health plan: major medical expenses; preventive care; pre-existing conditions; outpatient visits for chronic illnesses; mental health conditions; some costs of medical equipment; and some costs of prescriptions.

“The seven features that patients feel are priorities for their health care coverage represent the basic elements of good healthcare,” Okun said. “Patients who responded to the poll also believe that these elements should be included to ‘provide essential help to the most people.'”

But the respondents weren’t as united in their views on other topics.

Thirty-five percent of people either agreed or strongly agreed that states should be allowed to opt out of the ACA or any national healthcare replacement plan. But 48 percent felt the opposite, either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that states should be allowed to opt out. The remaining 17 percent were neutral.

However, when asked whether they wanted their own state to withdraw from the ACA or a replacement plan, only 22 percent agreed or strongly agreed. Fifty-four percent disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 23 percent were neutral.

As far as the current status of healthcare in the country, respondents overall seem to believe there needs to be at least some kind of change. Fifty-six percent said the ACA needs minor modifications to improve it. Another 23 percent claimed Obamacare needs a major overhaul. Nine percent claimed the ACA should be completely eliminated, and 6 percent said it’s working well the way it is.

Photo: FotografiaBasica, Getty Images

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