A survey of 449 seniors on Medicare fielded from June 29-July 2, 2012,
revealed that while the numbers have changed a bit on seniors’ overall
confidence in Medicare, 24% of respondents said they were “very”
confident that Medicare will be there for the rest of their lives – an
increase of 36% over a survey of 444 seniors answering the same question
in June 2010. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 19% of respondents
said they were “not” confident in Medicare in June 2012 compared to 12%
who said they were “not” confident in June 2010 – a 56% increase.
Both surveys were fielded by Extend
Health, operator of the nation’s largest private Medicare exchange.
Extend Health has been surveying seniors about their confidence in
Medicare since December 2009. These surveys were timed to gauge the
impact on seniors of two major developments in healthcare reform that
could affect Medicare: the passage of the healthcare reform law in May
2010 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding its constitutionality
in June 2012. Extend Health is a Towers Watson company.
Said Bryce Williams, Managing Director of Extend Health, “Since we
started tracking seniors’ confidence in Medicare in December 2009, we’ve
watched the numbers bounce up and down based on the intensity of
political debates and news headlines. Comparing these two surveys side
by side reveals that seniors’ views of the impact of the healthcare
reform law on their lives parallel those of the general population.
Regardless of what is actually in the law that might benefit or hurt
seniors on Medicare, it remains a polarizing issue for Americans of all
ages.”
Despite some seniors’ move to extremes, most respondents’ confidence
levels remain somewhere in the middle. In June 2012, 37% of respondents
said they were “somewhat” confident compared to June 2010 when 44% said
they were “somewhat” confident. Also in June 2012, 20% of respondents
said they were “unsure” about Medicare compared with 27% who said they
were “unsure” about Medicare in June 2010. These changes suggest,
however, that seniors’ positions are solidifying.
In contrast, results on the question of whether seniors are confident in
Medicare for their children were clear cut. In June 2012 54% of
respondents reported they were “not” confident that Medicare would be
there for the rest of their lives, compared to 15% of respondents in
June 2010.
Questions and detailed results from the survey are as follows:
How confident are you that Medicare will be available for the rest of
your life?
|
|
|
June 2012
|
|
June 2010
|
|
Very confident
|
|
24.1%
|
|
17.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Somewhat confident
|
|
36.7%
|
|
43.8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unsure
|
|
20.3%
|
|
26.5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not confident
|
|
18.9%
|
|
12.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How confident are you that Medicare will be available for the rest of
your children’s lives?
|
|
|
June 2012
|
|
June 2010
|
|
Very confident
|
|
4.0%
|
|
2.5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Somewhat confident
|
|
13.4%
|
|
18.9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unsure
|
|
29.2%
|
|
63.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not confident
|
|
53.5%
|
|
15.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extend Health has helped hundreds of thousands of seniors compare and
choose private Medicare plans. Extend Health is the only place seniors
can compare thousands of plans from more than 75 carriers side by side
and find plans that best meet their needs. Licensed benefit advisors are
available to help seniors evaluate their Medicare coverage and explore
new options quickly and easily.
About Extend Health
Founded in 2004, Extend Health operates the largest private Medicare
exchange in the country. Extend Health is a Towers Watson company (NYSE,
NASDAQ: TW). For more information, visit Extend Health on the web at http://www.extendhealth.com.
Extend Health is a registered trademark of Extend Health, Inc. Other
names may be trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners.
