CHICAGO — While survey respondents favor certain aspects of the recently passed healthcare-reform legislation, nearly three-quarters (73.2%) oppose the bill, according to the latest Wire survey.PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONSSixty-two percent say they favor new regulations preventing insurance companies from dropping or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Twenty-eight percent oppose this reform, and 10% answered “Not sure/No opinion.”INSURANCE EXCHANGESSupport was similar for the establishment of “insurance exchanges in the 50 states where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for an affordable plan.” Fifty-eight percent favor this feature, and 40% oppose it. Only 2% answered “Not sure/No opinion.”MEDICAID COVERAGEOnly 25% are in favor of expanding availability of Medicaid coverage to those making less than 133% of the federal poverty level, currently $29,327 for a family of four. Fifty-three percent are opposed to this provision, while 22% answered “Not sure/No opinion.”THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN?Asked, “Overall, what do you think of the healthcare-reform package passed?” 73.2% oppose it; 7.3% favor it; and 19.5% answered “Not sure/No opinion.”A good number of the detractors weren’t sure what effect the bill would have on their laundries. One respondent said he couldn’t figure out what the bill would cost his business, while another said, “It is going to kill attended Laundromats. Employees actually think employers will be required to provide insurance as a freebie, at no money out of their pockets.”Cost was another major concern. Some respondents believe the American economy will decline because of the new legislation. One respondent simply said, “Too many strings attached.”While the American Coin-Op Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.Subscribers to the Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month.Click here and follow the menu instructions to sign up for the free e-mail service.
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