Okay, so it’s no secret that the individual mandate included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act isn’t going to win any
However, Americans aren’t blowing raspberries on PPACA in its entirety, according to a recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In its monthly tracking poll, the foundation asked people to reveal their most liked and disliked PPACA provisions.
The runaway winner for most favored? The requirement that health plans provide consumers with a short, easy to understand description of benefits and coverage — favored by some 60% of people polled. It was the only provision in the entire law to be rated favorably by more than half of respondents.
The rest of the top 10 most liked provisions are:
2. Guaranteed issue. (47%)
3. Gradually close Medicare “donut hole.” (46%)
4. Tax credits to small businesses. (45%)
5. Subsidy assistance to individuals. (44%)
6. Health plan decision appeals. (37%)
7. Employer mandate/penalty for large employers. (35%)
8. Medicaid expansion. (34%)
9. Medical loss ratio. (34%)
10. No cost-sharing for preventive services. (33%)
In a blog post, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman notes that the most favored provisions share a common thread: “You do not have to be a health policy expert to understand them. They provide tangible help to people navigating the health insurance system and paying their health insurance bills.”
What do you think? If you had to create a top 10 list of favored PPACA provisions, what would be on it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Butler is editor-in-chief of EBA’s sister publication, Employee Benefit News. This post originally ran on their Employee Benefit Views
