Many don't know status of healthcare reform law: Kaiser survey

More than three years after President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, public confusion about the 2010 healthcare reform law is widespread, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Forty-two percent of those surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation didn't know the status of the law, answered incorrectly when asked about PPACA's status or declined to respond. Some 59% answered correctly that PPACA is the law of the land and is being implemented.

For example, 12% of respondents said the law was repealed by Congress. While the House of Representatives last year passed a repeal measure, the Senate did not act on the proposal.

In addition, 7% of respondents said the Supreme Court overturned the law.

In fact, the Supreme Court in June 2012 let stand a key provision in the law that will require most U.S. residents to enroll in a qualified healthcare plan starting next year or pay a financial penalty. The justices, though, struck down a provision that would have withdrawn federal funding of a state's Medicaid program if a state declined to expand it to more lower-income individuals as laid out by PPACA.

Another 23% of respondents in the Kaiser survey said they didn't know the status of the law or declined to answer the question.

Conversations with friends and relatives are the predominant way respondents said they have been getting information about the law.

For example, 40% said they have received information about the law in the past 30 days from friends and family, while 30% said they received such information from newspapers, radio news or other online news.

Just 9% of respondents said they have received information about the law in the past 30 days from federal agencies.

The telephone survey — conducted April 15-20— is based on the responses of 1,002 adults 18 years and older.

"Many don't know status of healthcare reform law: Kaiser survey" originally appeared on Crain's Business Insurance.