Although federal and state health insurance exchanges opened on Oct. 1, 71% of Americans who lack health insurance — the primary target group for the exchanges — say they are “not too familiar” or “not familiar at all” with them, little changed from last month. …
While 73% of uninsured Americans tell Gallup they are aware that Americans need to have health insurance for 2014 or pay a fine, 26% are still not aware of this requirement. Awareness of that health insurance requirement — known as the “individual mandate” — is up slightly among the uninsured population since September, when 68% were aware. [cont.]
Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup