Most Massachusetts residents support a new law effective July 1 that requires everyone in the state to have health insurance, a recent study shows.
The findings show potential nationwide support for universal healthcare coverage, said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), one of the organizations responsible for the study.
The study was based on a June telephone poll of 1,003 Massachusetts residents conducted by KFF, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.
“Given reports of sticker shock and ongoing debate about the law, we might have expected overall support to fall, but in fact, support is widespread and has gone up, Altman said. “If Massachusetts succeeds, it will have a big impact on the momentum for national health reform.”
The study found that 67 percent of Massachusetts residents who have heard of the new law support it, compared with 16 percent who oppose it. This is up from a poll in September that found six in 10 residents who had heard of the law supported it.
Further findings revealed that support for the law’s requirement mandating individuals to have insurance is up from 52 percent in September to 57 percent in the June study.
“After years of anti-tax sentiment, it is surprising that the law remains popular among a majority of people who believe it could cause their taxes to increase,” said Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard
School of Public Health and the Kennedy School of Government.
Ninety percent of those polled who support the mandate said they do so “because it is the right thing to do.” Seventy-nine percent said they believe broader coverage will keep costs down by providing more incentives for preventive care.
Jarrett Barrios, incoming president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, said he is pleased that the poll shows increased support for the new law. “This support combined with growing awareness of the law means this legislation is right for Massachusetts,” Barrios said.
Among the small group of residents who oppose the law, most said people should not be required to buy insurance if they can’t afford it or if they don’t want it.
The Massachusetts law requires state residents to obtain healthcare coverage through a designee, the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector, mandated to provide affordable insurance plans. Uninsured residents with incomes less than three times the federal poverty level may receive subsidized coverage under the new law.
The survey found that the vast majority of Massachusetts residents have some knowledge of the new law. However, the 13 percent who reported knowing nothing about it are among the groups most likely to be impacted, researchers said. These include young people, the poor and the uninsured.