According to a new study conducted by Bankrate.com, a majority of Americans who used the Obamacare healthcare exchanges last year through Healthcare.gov don't plan on doing so again this year when open enrollment begins on November 15.
"Those who experienced the rocky rollout of the Obamacare health exchanges firsthand are feeling nervous about prices and wary of technical glitches on the eve of the second open enrollment period, according to the latest Bankrate Health Insurance Pulse survey. All of the survey respondents were from households that used the exchanges during the initial open enrollment last fall and winter," Bankrate.com states about the study. "Within that group of respondents, a slight majority -- 52 percent -- report they had a positive experience, and 53 percent feel confident that the online health insurance marketplace will operate smoothly this time around. In an earlier Bankrate survey, only 39 percent of the general population expressed confidence that the exchanges will work well during the new signup season. On the other hand, a slight majority of the exchange veterans (51 percent) say they don't plan to return for round two, which begins Nov. 15."
More from the survey:
-53% of those earning less than $30,000 say they plan to give the exchanges another try, compared with just 35% of respondents making $75,000 a year or more.
-66% of previous exchange users who identify as Republican say they won't return to the Obamacare marketplace, versus 41% of Democrats and 55% of independents.
-52% of respondents who work part time say they plan to shop in the exchanges again, compared with 39% of full-timers.
According to the Government Accountability Office Healthcare.gov, where the Obamacare exchanges are located, is still not secure and is vulnerable to hacking and identity theft.
"Until it addresses shortcomings in both the technical security controls and its information security program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is exposing HealthCare.gov-related data and its supporting systems to significant risks of unauthorized access, use, disclose, modification and disruption, the report stated.
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