Fronstin P, Hicks J
EBRI Issue Brief. 1998 Jul(199):1-15.
This Issue Brief presents the findings from the 1998 Health Confidence Survey. It focuses on Americans' satisfaction with the health care system and their confidence in the system's future. Only 5 percent of Americans give an excellent rating to health care in America today. However, while just over one-half rate health care as excellent, very good, or good, almost one-half (46 percent) rate it as fair or poor. When asked what they consider to be the most critical issue in America today, 15 percent of Americans cite health care. Overall, Americans are not extremely confident about various aspects of health care in the next 10 years. Only 10 percent are extremely confident that they will be able to get the medical treatments they need during this period, while 22 percent are not confident. Americans are even less confident that they will have access to quality health care (26 percent not confident), that they will have enough freedom to choose their health care provider (36 percent not confident), and that they will be able to afford health care without suffering financial hardship (41 percent not confident). The nonelderly population is even less confident about health care once they become eligible for Medicare. Americans are clearly confused about the meaning of managed care and whether they are enrolled in a managed care plan. While 70 percent of those who were determined to be enrolled in a managed care plan label the plan correctly, only 21 percent report that they are currently enrolled in a managed care plan. Most American have opinions about managed care. However, only 28 percent of Americans form their opinions about managed care based on their own personal experience. Twenty-three percent base their opinion on what they learn from family and friends, and 29 percent base it on what they hear or see in the media. While few Americans give managed care an excellent rating, few give it a poor rating. Most Americans rate managed care somewhere in the middle. Americans are particularly concerned about health care costs. Over 30 percent are not satisfied with the cost of their health insurance over the last 2 years, and 37 percent are not satisfied with the health care costs that are not covered by their health plan. These numbers compare with higher satisfaction levels concerning choice of physician, quality of care received, treatments received, hospitals used, and benefits covered by health plans.
本问题简报展示了1998年健康信心调查的结果。它聚焦于美国人对医疗保健系统的满意度以及他们对该系统未来的信心。如今只有5%的美国人给美国的医疗保健打优秀等级。然而，虽然略多于一半的人将医疗保健评为优秀、非常好或良好，但几乎一半（46%）的人将其评为一般或差。当被问及他们认为当今美国最关键的问题是什么时，15%的美国人提到了医疗保健。总体而言，美国人对未来10年医疗保健的各个方面并非极度自信。只有10%的人极度自信在此期间他们能够得到所需的医疗治疗，而22%的人不自信。美国人对能获得优质医疗保健（26%不自信）、有足够自由选择医疗保健提供者（36%不自信）以及能负担得起医疗保健而不陷入经济困境（41%不自信）更缺乏信心。非老年人群一旦符合医疗保险资格，对医疗保健的信心更低。美国人显然对管理式医疗的含义以及他们是否加入了管理式医疗计划感到困惑。虽然70%被确定加入了管理式医疗计划的人能正确标注该计划，但只有21%的人报告他们目前加入了管理式医疗计划。大多数美国人对管理式医疗有看法。然而，只有28%的美国人基于自己的个人经历形成对管理式医疗的看法。23%的人依据从家人和朋友那里了解到的情况形成看法，29%的人依据在媒体上听到或看到的内容形成看法。虽然很少有美国人给管理式医疗打优秀等级，但也很少有人给它打差等级。大多数美国人给管理式医疗的评分处于中等水平。美国人尤其关注医疗保健费用。超过30%的人对过去两年他们的医疗保险费用不满意，37%的人对他们的健康计划未涵盖的医疗保健费用不满意。与对医生选择、所接受的护理质量、所接受的治疗、所使用的医院以及健康计划涵盖的福利等方面更高的满意度相比，这些数字显得较低。
