Mixed reactions as health care overhaul approaches

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Big changes are coming to healthcare in California in just a few weeks, the result of the national healthcare overhaul. Here is how you could be affected, and what you need to know.

Outside of a cellphone store in El Monte, Jacqueline Gallardo is talking about health insurance -- specifically, the Affordable Care Act.

Gallardo is part of an outreach team for CHAP Care, a nonprofit health care provider in the San Gabriel Valley. She works to educate people about their options under the Affordable Care Act. And she says people have lots of questions.

Gallardo's experience is reflected in the results of our latest ABC7 SurveyUSA poll, which shows that many Californians are not familiar with how the upcoming changes to our health care system will affect them.

The poll asked 500 Californians how familiar they are with the ways in which the Affordable Care Act's would affect them. Twenty-nine percent said they were very sure; 36 percent said they were somewhat sure; but 21 percent said they were not very sure how it would affect them. Twelve percent said they were not sure at all.

The survey also asked: "In general, do you support or do you oppose the changes being made to the health care system?" Thirty-nine percent were in support, but 30 percent opposed it; 32 percent said they don't know enough to say.

The survey also asked if respondents currently have health insurance: 81 percent said yes; 17 percent said no and 2 percent were unsure.

Starting October 1, Californians can take part in an insurance exchange that is part of the federal Affordable Care Act. Covered California expects to enroll 2.3 million state residents by 2017.

Meanwhile, outreach workers like Jacqueline Gallardo continue to spread the word about coverage options.

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health care, health insurance, california news, robert holguin

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