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November 17, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Gallup conducted a poll from Nov. 6 and Nov. 9 and found that Americans generally had a low opinion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Only 37 percent of the 828 U.S. adults they polled said they approve of PPACA, and even the approval rate among adults who identified themselves as Democrats fell to 74 percent, from a 79 percent in June.
Then the PPACA public exchange system opened for business on Saturday, and the consumers poured in through the digital doors. About 500,000 people logged on to HealthCare.gov, the enrollment site for the exchanges run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS reports that consumers have placed 100,000 calls to its call center and submitted 100,000 applications for new coverage.
The second annual PPACA exchange open enrollment period is supposed to extend until Feb. 15.
The application deadline for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1 is Dec. 15.
Some health agents and brokers want to become more like the agents who sell auto insurance, and learn to profit from making a little money per customer from helping them enroll in a government-mandated product — and, eventually, from selling them other products.
Other producers view exchange marketing and promotion as an indirect, government-backed marketing campaign for their own efforts to sell off-exchange products.
Still others loathe PPACA and are watching the system in hopes of seeing signs that the system will go away.
So far, what has been surprising about the open enrollment period? To see our thoughts, read on.
1. Demand was enormous.
There were some signs that PPACA exchange demand could be weaker. Some state-based exchange managers talked less about marketing plans, and some talked about having less money to spend on marketing this year.
HealthCare.gov became famous for glitches during the first open enrollment period, and news organizations have carried many reports about consumers who are frustrated with high prices for unsubsidized QHP coverage, narrow provider networks, and high out-of-pocket costs.
The new Gallup survey results reflected widespread hostility PPACA.
