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Affordability is in the eye of the Obamacare beholder. A new Commonwealth Fund survey shows that Obamacare customers are much less likely than people with health insurance through an employer to view their coverage as affordable. And just under half of those customers said it was easy to find a plan they could afford, according to the survey.

The survey also found that while many lower-income Obamacare customers actually have insurance costs that are comparable to those in employer-based plans, higher-income customers "are more likely to pay more for their premiums and have a high deductible" than those in job-based coverage.

Higher-income Obamacare customers also are significantly more likely than lower-income enrollees to say that their plan premiums have increased over time. "The findings present cautionary notes for policymakers," said a Commonwealth Fund report on the survey, released Thursday. "Adjustments to the marketplaces will likely be needed to ensure that consumers afford both the insurance and the health care they need." Dr. David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said the survey "shows that we will need to continue to monitor the affordability of the marketplaces, especially as health-care costs continue to rise and incomes remain flat."

The survey comes as insurers are releasing their proposed prices for 2017 Obamacare plans, which are on track to have higher percentage increases than in previous years. Commonwealth's findings reflect the financial position of many Obamacare enrollees, as well as the impact of financial aid that many, but not all, of those customers receive. Almost 85 percent of the 11.1 million people enrolled in Obamacare plans sold on government-run exchanges such as HealthCare.gov receive federal subsidies that lower the cost of their monthly plan premiums. Those tax credits, available to people with low and moderate incomes, can shield them from some or all of the effects of annual premium price hikes. But exchange customers who earn more than 400 percent of the poverty level aren't eligible for federal financial assistance with their premiums. And people of any income level are not eligible for such aid if they buy individual health plans outside of the government marketplaces. Another 57 percent or so of exchange customers get subsidies that lower how much they personally have to pay out of pocket for health services or medications. Those subsidies are available to such customers whose household incomes are below 250 percent of the poverty level, or $50,225 for a family of three.