MDVIP/Ipsos poll shows Americans are struggling with the healthcare system
Washington, DC, February 27, 2024 – A new survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of MDVIP shows that most Americans are unsatisfied with the healthcare system, say the health insurance system is confusing and opaque, and many have skipped or delayed care because of a bad experience or the lack of timely appointments. A small, but not insignificant number, of Americans believe they have had a negative health outcome as result of their experiences within the healthcare system. The survey also shows that many Americans have primary care physicians, and among those, most are happy with their doctor and report being satisfied with experiences with their individual primary care doctor.
Detailed Findings:
1. Most Americans are satisfied with their primary care doctor (70% are extremely/very satisfied) and a majority say they are satisfied with their doctor’s bedside manner (71%), their doctor’s attention to what they have to say (72%), their doctor’s explanation of conditions and/or medications (72%), the amount of time their doctor spends with them (66%), and their doctor’s proactive approach to wellness and prevention (64%).
2. When thinking about the healthcare system generally, Americans have a more pessimistic view:
- Only one in three Americans (32%) are extremely or very satisfied with the U.S. healthcare system.
- Three in five Americans say the healthcare system is a hassle (61%) and that navigating it is stressful (63%).
- More than half of Americans say the system treats them more like a number than a person (53%).
- Only 39% say that the healthcare system is working in the patient’s best interest.
3. A subset of the American population is not receiving the care they need and some believe this has resulted in a negative health outcome:
- A quarter of Americans (25%) have skipped or delayed care because they couldn’t get a timely appointment, and 21% delayed care because of a negative experience.
- 17% of Americans say they have had a health issue that has worsened, 14% had their mental health negatively impacted, and 4% said they had a major health event as a result of their experience with the healthcare system.
4. The health insurance system is not viewed positively, with most Americans reporting it is confusing and lacking transparency:
- Most Americans (65%) do not feel that health insurance providers are transparent about what they cover, do not believe that healthcare bills are clear and easy to understand (62%), or find health insurance coverage like co-insurance payments and deductibles to be easy to understand (62%).
About the Study
This MDVIP/Ipsos poll was conducted December 1-10, 2023, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,010 general population adults age 26 or older.
The margin of sampling error for the general population study is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.10. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on other sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.
The survey was conducted using KnowledgePanel, the largest and most well-established online probability-based panel that is representative of the adult US population. Our recruitment process employs a scientifically developed addressed-based sampling methodology using the latest Delivery Sequence File of the USPS – a database with full coverage of all delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available households in the U.S. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in used to complete surveys online. As a result of our recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population.
The data for the total general population sample were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, and household income. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2022 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS).
- Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45-59 and 60+)
- Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other, Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, 2+ Races, Non-Hispanic)
- Education (Less than High School, High School, Some College, Bachelor or higher)
- Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
- Metropolitan status (Metro, non-Metro)
- Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Chris Jackson
Senior Vice President, U.S.
Public Affairs
[email protected]
Annaleise Azevedo Lohr
Director, U.S.
Public Affairs
[email protected]
About Ipsos
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