A majority consider costs when making healthcare decisions
When it comes to health insurance plans, many of which can be expensive and poised to be more costly in 2026, do New Jerseyans know what they are paying for? The answer appears to be "yes," according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in collaboration with the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals New Jersey Chapter (NABIP-NJ).
"New Jersey voters show a notable degree of confidence in navigating their health insurance, but many continue to grapple with a system they view as complicated, costly, and shaped by forces beyond their control," said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "The results point to a public that feels prepared to make choices within the system yet remains concerned about the affordability of care and the extent of the state's role in shaping available options."
Voters generally feel confident in their health insurance knowledge. Among those who have health insurance, 84% percent say they are confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (41% "very," 43% "somewhat") and 71% are confident in their understanding of the difference health insurance plan options available to them (32% "very," 39% "somewhat").
"This survey underscores the value of the broker in helping New Jerseyans understand their options to enable them in purchasing the health insurance that best suits their families' needs," said Jim Lardiere, NABIP-NJ president. "Health insurance brokers can be a key element in the process of purchasing insurance, driving costs down by fully educating the consumer and ensuring premium dollars are not being wasted on plans that are generally beyond the needs of the policy holder."
Voters ages 18 to 34 are less likely to feel confident in both their understanding of their chosen plan (73%) and the different health insurance options available to them (56%) than those 35 and older.
Those with some college education or less schooling are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (80%) than those with more schooling (88%).
Voters who have an insurance plan through employment are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their health insurance plan options (71%) than those enrolled in either Medicare or Medicaid (82%).
The poll also put a spotlight on the state government's role in the private insurance marketplace in New Jersey, particularly Trenton's level of influence on the rules, regulations and requirements that govern insurance plans.
Slightly more than 7 in 10 New Jersey voters say they are concerned (37% "very," 35% "somewhat") about the state government's influence. Meanwhile, 15% percent say they are "not very" concerned and 5% are not concerned at all.
Age weighed into the poll findings, as younger people rely on health insurance considerably less than older New Jerseyans. Voters ages 18 to 34 are less likely to express concern (56%) about government intervention than those 35 and older.
The poll also dived into premium costs in New Jersey.
About half of voters give "a great deal" of consideration to healthcare costs when making healthcare decisions (51%). Twenty-eight percent "somewhat" consider costs, 12% don't give too much consideration, and 7% don't give any consideration at all to costs.
Majorities across partisanship, gender, race and ethnicity, age, income, education, and insurance type consider costs when making healthcare decisions, though to varying degrees
Republicans are less likely to consider costs at least "somewhat" (72%) than Democrats (83%) and independents (82%).
Women (84%), nonwhite voters (87%), and those earning less than $100,000 in annual household income (84%) are all more likely than their counterparts to consider costs when making healthcare decisions.
Results are from a statewide poll of 795 voters contacted via live calling and texting from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17. This registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.
