Consumers confused about healthcare: survey

U.S. consumers understand very little about the healthcare system but still hold strong views that are often contradictory, according to a survey.

The 2010 Survey of Healthcare Consumers, from the Washington-based Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, demonstrated a significant disconnect between consumers' perceptions and reality when it came to issues such as healthcare costs, the role of government and their own health status.

For instance, while more than half of the 4,008 adults surveyed said they were satisfied with their health insurance plan, 46% of respondents said they did not understand their coverage and one in four did not know the amount of their contribution to their plan.

And while only 23% of consumers reported an understanding of how the healthcare system works, 76% gave the system a “C” grade or below on a report card scale. Nearly half of people surveyed said that 50% or more of healthcare dollars are wasted—a problem they attributed to excess paperwork and irresponsibility by other individuals.

“While consumers tend to rate the ‘system' low, when it comes to their own personal experiences with their health insurance plan doctor or hospital, they are much more likely to say they are satisfied, even if they do not know how much they are paying,” Paul Keckley, the center's director, said in a news release. “It will be interesting to see how this might change in the years to come as systematic reforms are implemented.”