© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Connecticut, like other states, launched an online health exchange -- Access Health CT -- where residents can shop for and purchase health insurance. There could be new opportunities for the unemployed or uninsured to receive health insurance. Here, we gather our coverage of changes under the new federal law.

Changes are Coming to Health Care, But That Doesn't Mean People Like It

UConn

Most Americans don't like the new federal health care law that begins enrollment next week, according to a new national poll from the University of Connecticut. It's not that Americans don't want the government to help cover the uninsured. It's that they specifically don't like this law: the Affordable Care Act.

Jennifer Necci Dineen, who runs the UConn poll, said, "When you ask specifically about the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, more than half -- 53 percent -- have an unfavorable view of the law. There is still a chunk of the American public, just over 40 percent, that actually don't feel like they have enough information about the law. They don't know how it's going to impact them." (View all the raw data here.)

Across the country, those without insurance will be able to choose from various health insurance plans. Subsidies are available depending on income. If you don't sign up, you could face a federal penalty.

There are millions in the country without insurance. Of those polled, NecciDineen said 27 percent say they don't plan to take advantage of the new law. "In order to get to the families in the state that will benefit from the exchange," she said, "there needs to be a significant amount of information and outreach."

Connecticut has more than 300,000 people without insurance. Officials hope to sign up more than 100,000 in the first year alone. 

Jeff Cohen started in newspapers in 2001 and joined Connecticut Public in 2010, where he worked as a reporter and fill-in host. In 2017, he was named news director. Then, in 2022, he became a senior enterprise reporter.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content