Survey: 50% of Patients Have Not Heard Physicians Discuss Healthcare Reform

Half of patients have yet to hear their regular physician discuss healthcare reform or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at appointments, according to a new survey from HealthPocket, a technology company that compares health plans. The survey was based on 1,176 responses to an online survey conducted from June 26 to June 28.

Respondents were asked, "Which statement best characterizes your doctor's comments regarding the effect of [the PPACA] on healthcare?" Five options were provided from which the respondent could select one: (a) They have been mostly positive, (b) They have been mostly negative, (c) They have been neutral, (d) My physician has not mentioned [the PPACA] or (e) I don't have a physician.

Out of the 75 percent of respondents who indicated they have a physician, half have not had their physician comment on the PPACA.

For those respondents whose physician did comment on the PPACA effect on healthcare, the comments spread fairly evenly across the spectrum of good to bad judgments. Thirty-eight percent of respondents whose physicians mentioned the PPACA heard mostly negative comments compared to 33 percent who heard mostly positive comments and 29 percent who heard neutral comments.

More Articles on the PPACA, Physicians and Patients:
Healthcare Executives' Top 5 Concerns About the PPACA
Majority of Physicians See No Personal Financial Returns From ACOs
3 Statistics on Physicians' Work Hours Per Day