March 2011 Index:  99.6

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care Public Perception Index (RWJF Index), conducted from April 2008 through March 2011, is a monthly snapshot of how adults in the United States perceived their financial access to health care.  The purpose of this index is to monitor consumer opinions regarding barriers to care and concerns for future access to care during this timeframe.

SHADAC developed the RWJF Index from selected survey items using baseline data established in spring 2009. The RWJF Index is itself composed of two sub-indices:

• The Recent Health Cost Barriers Index (RHCB Index) measures recent problems with access to health care due to cost.
• The Future Health Cost Concerns Index (FHCC Index) measures future worries about access to health care or health insurance due to cost, respectively. 

Beginning with an Index of 100 in spring of 2008, the RWJF Index showed fluctuations but no significant trends in consumers’ collective confidence in their health care in this time frame. We do, however, see disparities in confidence among different groups, such as the uninsured, those with lower incomes, and those in poorer health.

Data collection for the RWJF Index has been suspended, effective April 2011.  

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