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Almost 66% of Consumers Would Struggle to Pay Deductible if They Contracted COVID-19

Analysis  |  By Jack O'Brien  
   March 18, 2020

Just over one-third of Republicans stated that they are not concerned with the spread of the coronavirus.

Almost two-thirds of healthcare consumers would struggle to pay their insurance deductible if they contracted coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to an eHealth survey released Wednesday morning.

Nearly 70% of consumers reported that they "don't have a basic understanding of how their insurance coverage works" for coronavirus. Over half of respondents stated that they have not heard from their provider or insurer about healthcare coverage related to the outbreak. 

Over three-quarters of survey respondents stated that they are "somewhat" or "very" concerned about the spread of COVID-19, according to the survey, though over 60% of respondents have "medium" or "high" confidence in the government's response to the crisis.

As of Wednesday morning, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have reported confirmed cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In total, there are over 4,200 domestic cases and 75 deaths.

The survey also highlighted the partisan and economic split related to the COVID-19 outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic last week.

Just over one-third of Republicans stated that they are not concerned with the spread of the coronavirus, compared to 13% of Democrats.

Meanwhile, almost 40% of Republicans expressed high confidence in the Trump administration's handling of the outbreak, compared to 6% of Democrats. 

Respondents were split almost down the middle on whether they could work from home or not during the outbreak, though just over half of college graduates reported that they could work from home compared to 19% of high school graduates.

Similarly, 60% of respondents with six-figure incomes reported that were likely to be able to work from home, compared to only 36% of those who made less than $25,000 annually.

In addition to the views and concerns surrounding the virus, respondents stated that they have begun to change their habits.

Nearly 75% of respondents stated that they have started washing their hands more frequently, over half have stopped touching their faces, and just under 40% are avoiding public places.

Still, just over one-fifth of respondents stated that they have not made any changes in relation to the outbreak.

Jack O'Brien is the Content Team Lead and Finance Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.


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