A new HealthPocket health insurance survey finds that working Americans overwhelmingly prefer to be the decision makers about their health insurance company rather than have their employer select it for them. Among those who currently have employer-sponsored insurance, a majority of 65 percent would like to be able to choose for themselves. In response to the question, "Would you prefer your employer choose your health insurance company annually or would you prefer to make the choice yourself?" only 22 percent preferred their employer be in charge. An additional 38 percent responded that they were either not working or their employer didn't offer insurance.

According to census data, 66 percent of all people with health insurance in the U.S. receive their coverage through their jobs. That means that for over 169 million Americans, their options today are restricted to health insurance companies that their employers select. Workers are free to purchase insurance on their own in the individual and family market, but plans offered by employers have been more desirable due to:

• Contributions to health insurance premiums by most employers
• Broader health benefits in the employer market and fewer policy exclusions and limitations
• No insurance application rejections or 'rate-ups' based on a worker's health history

Under the Affordable Care Act, some of the historic disadvantages in the individual market for many workers will go away, which is expected to drive a shift toward individual rather than group market expansion.  

"The stage is set under Obamacare for a decline in employer-sponsored health insurance and a rise in individually purchased coverage," said Bruce Telkamp, CEO of HealthPocket. "Our poll reveals that, with respect to the selection of a health insurance company, personal choice is what workers want. For those workers who will migrate from employer-sponsored to individually purchased health insurance, they'll get the control they desire."

This InfoPoll survey was conducted between July 16 and July 18, 2013 and reflects 781 responses. The methodology to acquire survey respondents who approximate national statistics on age, gender, and region was implemented by Google. See the InfoPoll to review the detailed findings.