A survey examines how Americans view their health coverage and other workplace benefits.
Health insurance isn't just a perk, but one of the main draws of employment for nearly all American workers, according to a new poll.
The survey, from Seven Letter Insight for the Protecting Americans Coverage Together campaign, fielded responses from 2,334 workers with employee-sponsored health coverage with from November 14 to November 19, 2022.
Respondents overwhelmingly highlighted the significance of receiving insurance through their employer, with 83% saying it is important that a job offers coverage, while 13% say it is very important.
Americans would rather get their insurance through their employer than on the individual market, as 89% of respondents expressed their preference for employer-sponsored coverage.
Over 75% of workers surveyed said they believe insurance through employers is higher in quality than open market plans, while 95% said employer-sponsored coverage is more convenient, and 83% said it is more affordable.
Overall, 93% of respondents are satisfied with their insurance. More than half (54%) are highly satisfied, more than 70% agree their health insurance is worth what they pay for it, and 87% call their plans affordable.
Speaking of affordable, that topped the provided list of words for respondents when asked to describe their coverage. The other top choices were "high-quality" and "comprehensive." Meanwhile, the least chosen descriptions were "lacking," "confusing," and "low-quality."
Nearly all workers (97%) feel that "quality health coverage is an important way for companies to retain their valued employees," and 80% named health insurance as one of the most important benefits for an employer to offer.
"Employees value their employer-sponsored health coverage, and they believe it is fundamentally important for employers to offer it," said Katie Mahoney, vice president of Health Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "ESI is working for the people with access to it, and the goal of policymakers should be to strengthen and bolster the system to help more people."
Jay Asser is the contributing editor for strategy at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Workers with employee-sponsored health coverage greatly value receiving insurance their employer and prefer it to getting coverage on the individual market.
Overall, 93% of respondents are satisfied with their employers-sponsored insurance, with 54% saying they are highly satisfied.
Employees describe their insurance as affordable, high-quality, and comprehensive.