Most happy with health insurance cost

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PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Six-of-10 U.S. adults are satisfied with how much they pay for health insurance, but those on Medicare and Medicaid are more satisfied, a survey says.

Gallup's annual Health and Healthcare poll, conducted Nov. 15-18, found Medicaid and Medicare recipients' satisfaction with what they pay for health insurance rose to a new high the last two years, at 76 percent, while those who have private insurance were less satisfied at 57 percent.

As a result, there is now a 19-percentage-point gap in the two groups' satisfaction -- contrasted with minimal gaps from 2004 to 2010 and essentially no gap from 2001 to 2003, Gallup said.

Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults with private insurance said their health premiums costs are shared with their employer, up from 54 percent in 2001.

The 22 percent who said they personally paid the entire cost for their health insurance plan did not increase appreciably, while the 10 percent who said their employer paid the entire cost of their health insurance was down by more than half from 2001, the survey said.

Currently, 71 percent said their health insurance costs rose in the past year, including 29 percent who said their costs increased a lot, while 22 percent said their cost share has not changed and 5 percent reported a decrease.

The overall Gallup poll involving 1,015 U.S. adults has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. However, the sample of 420 adults with Medicare or Medicaid health insurance has a margin of error of 6 percentage points, the sample of 499 adults with private health insurance has a margin of error of 6 percentage points and the sample of 431 adults with private health insurance who pay all or part of their health premiums has a margin of error of 6 percentage points.