Overview

As CHOICE continues to expand, employees are being asked to take a more active role in evaluating and selecting their health coverage, making it increasingly important to understand what drives their decisions and experience. The 2027 CHOICE Study Part II: Employees examines how employees in CHOICE arrangements and traditional group members view their coverage, what influences their decisions, and how willing group members are to move to CHOICE. It also explores the experience of current CHOICE members to identify what is working and where challenges remain.

What's Inside the Study

Awareness and understanding. Measures consumer awareness of CHOICE and familiarity with related concepts such as FSAs and HSAs.
Attitudes. Examines attitudes toward CHOICE and toward moving from group coverage into it.
Member experience. Describes the experience of current CHOICE members.
Affordability and cost. Examines health insurance affordability and cost, which carries added weight as the 2027 ACA affordability threshold rises again to 10.22% of household income
Decision-making and satisfaction. Shows how consumers choose health insurance, make plan decisions, and rate their satisfaction.

What’s New

Financial strain. Tests whether CHOICE members feel more financial strain as employer contributions cover a smaller share of premiums and medical expenses.
Independent research. Measures how much research employees do on their own, outside broker consultations.
IFP brand and trust. Includes an IFP brand awareness and trust exercise that shows carriers the value of brand among consumers who are less premium-focused.
Network adequacy. Examines whether group consumers fear network inadequacy in CHOICE, and which types of CHOICE consumers feel their access meets their needs.
Employer funding. Shows how employer funding levels shape consumers’ perceptions of both their employer and their plan.

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Explore Last Year’s Insights

2026 ICHRA Study Part II: Employees Study SIP

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Insights from the 2026 Report:

ICHRA Recipients Report Higher Satisfaction and Stronger Advocacy Than Group Coverage Employees
As ICHRA adoption accelerates, employee sentiment remains notably positive. ICHRA recipients provide significantly higher Net Promoter Scores than employees enrolled in traditional group coverage and report greater satisfaction with their coverage choices, carrier options, employer support, and overall flexibility. Increasingly, ICHRA is serving employees who have transitioned directly from employer-sponsored group health plans rather than from ACA coverage or uninsured status.

Affordability Remains the Largest Driver of Employee Satisfaction
Premium affordability has a powerful impact on how employees view their coverage. While many ICHRA members experienced premium increases for 2026, perceptions of affordability matter more than the size of the increase itself. Employees who feel their premiums have become more affordable report dramatically higher satisfaction and advocacy levels than those who feel affordability has worsened.