Nearly 20% of individuals potentially eligible for coverage through the fledgling healthcare exchanges have shopped for a plan through the government-run marketplaces, according to a survey (PDF) released by the Commonwealth Fund on Monday.
Of those individuals who sought out information through the exchanges, 21% actually enrolled in a health plan.
Those numbers were almost certainly depressed because of technological problems that have marred the rollout of the exchanges. Of those who sought out information but didn't enroll in a plan, 37% cited technical difficulties as a reason.
But the findings of the Commonwealth Fund's survey suggest that many individuals will be returning to the exchanges to seek coverage in the future. Of those surveyed, 58% indicated that they are very likely or somewhat likely to obtain coverage through the exchanges by the close of the open enrollment period on March 31.
The poll also suggested that awareness of the specifics of the federal healthcare overhaul has grown substantially. Among eligible adults, 60% were aware that they could seek coverage through the exchanges. That's up from only 39% percent in a Commonwealth Fund survey (PDF) released in September.
Social Science Research Solutions conducted the poll on behalf of the Commonwealth Fund from Oct. 9 to Oct. 27. The firm surveyed 682 adults ages 19 to 64 nationwide. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
While it was hardly the ideal form of publicity, the enormous media coverage of the botched rollout of the federal exchange serving 36 states and of the mixed rollout of the state-run exchanges in 15 states and the District of Columbia may well have heightened public awareness of the opportunity to sign up for coverage through the online exchanges.
Follow Paul Demko on Twitter: @MHpdemko
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