Public opinion on health care reform in the United States
Encyclopedia
Public opinion on health care reform in the United States is mixed. Many Americans
express a desire for health care reform
because they see health care as too expensive and because they perceive that insurance companies avoid meeting health costs through coverage exclusions, caps, and co-pays. Americans also express concern that the system as a whole does not cover everyone, and some support malpractice reform and Medicare payment reform. Some polls show majority support for the creation of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, known as a public option
, or a single-payer health care
system. Many Democrats
in Congress
support setting up a single payer health care system (see United States National Health Care Act).
The majority of Democrats
in Congress
coalesced in 2009 around private insurance reform proposals (examples included the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
and the Wyden-Bennett Act), and passed a bill in 2010 despite unified Republican
opposition. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Public opinion hardened around the same levels found prior to enactment, i.e. around 40% favorable and around 50% opposition, with some reporting a majority wanting to repeal the new law. Campaigning on promises to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA), Republicans gained more Congressional seats in the November 2010 midterm elections than any party in more than 70 years, and won control of the United States House of Representatives
.
reported on fifty years of surveys finding "much dissatisfaction with the health care system and with private health insurance and managed care companies, and...general support of a national health plan. However, most Americans remain satisfied with their current medical arrangements, do not trust the federal government to do what is right, and do not favor a single-payer type of national health plan." A 2005 article in Health Affairs
stated that "for many years, public opinion surveys have found that 65–86 percent of U.S. respondents support a government guarantee of health care for everyone who needs it."
According to journalist Jonathan Alter
, most Americans do not consider healthcare is a 'right' in the sense that all people have an inalienable right to care. Self-described liberals tend to see healthcare as such a right, based on a community-centered ethical view of the issue. Self-described conservatives tend to disagree, based on an individual-centered ethical view of the issue.
In an article published in the May/June 2008 issue of Health Affairs, pollsters William McInturff and Lori Weigel concluded that the current health care debate is very similar to that of the early 1990s, when the 1993 Clinton health care plan was under consideration. Similarities noted by the authors include a strong desire for change, a weakening economy, and an increased willingness to accept a larger governmental role in health care. New factors include high military spending and a higher burden placed on businesses by health care costs. However, the authors argue that many of the barriers to reform that existed in the early 1990s are still in play, including a strong resistance to government as the sole provider of care ("'I like national health insurance,' patiently explained one focus-group respondent. 'I just don’t want the government to run it.'"). The authors conclude that incremental change appears more likely than wholesale restructuring of the system.
According to Rasmussen Reports
in January 2010, 10% of the American public have withdrawn their support from leading Congressional proposals since June 2009, with a majority opposing them since November 2009. In June 2009, 50% were in favor vs. 45% opposed, but in January 2010, support had dropped to 40% and opposition had increased to 55%. Around 80% say they are satisfied with the health care they receive, and around 70% say they are satisfied with their coverage.
In February 2010, Gallup found a new low of 36% approval for President Obama's handling of healthcare., and Rasmussen Reports
found Americans opposing the Congressional bills by a 15-point margin, 56% vs. 41%. The Kaiser Family Foundation
(in representation of Kaiser Permanente
) found most Americans expressed "disappointment, frustration and a fair bit of cynicism" with the gridlock over health care reform and that most people, including most Republicans, feel that the delays have more to do with playing politics than doing what is right for the country. Overall Kaiser said respondents were evenly divided about the bills before congress, though only 38% of Americans said they would be happy or relieved if there was no reform legislation passed in 2010 compared to 58% saying they would disappointed or angry.
82% of Obama voters who voted for Republican Senator Scott Brown
in Massachusetts support the public option.
On March 22, 2010, one day after the health reform bill was passed by the US House, a Gallup
/USA Today
poll found that 49% of Americans thought the bill was a “good thing,” 40% said it was a “bad thing” and 11% had no opinion. Reacting to the passed bill, 15% of Americans said they were “enthusiastic” about it, 35% were “pleased,” 23% “disappointed,” 19% “angry," and 8% had no opinion. A combined 50% had favorable views, versus 42% had unfavorable views. The poll had a +/- 4 percent margin of error.
poll issued in June 2009 found that "most Americans believe that the nation’s health care system is in need of substantial changes." However, the survey found that, compared to the early 1990s when the Clinton Health Reform plan was being considered, fewer Americans believed the country was spending too much on health care, fewer believed that the health care system was in crisis, and fewer supported a complete restructuring of the system. Most supported extending coverage to the uninsured and slowing the increase in health care costs, but neither issue found the same level of support as they did in 1993.
A Time Magazine poll in late July found 80% of Americans support guaranteed issue
, i.e. requiring insurance companies "to offer coverage to anyone who applies, even if they have a pre-existing health condition
."
An August NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll asked Americans on what they felt was "likely to happen" as a result of health care reform: "Health care to illegal immigrants - 55%", "Pay for abortions - 50%", "Government takeover - 54%", and "Government decides on health care for the elderly - 45%".
Gallup polls in August and September 2009 found 44% of men opposed the bills vs. 33% in favor, while 40% of women supported the bills vs. 33% against; young adults and blacks were generally more likely to favor the bills than oppose them, whereas older people, whites, and mixed race persons were more inclined to be against. Gallup noted "a distinct shift against reform among those with four-year college degrees but no postgraduate education; this group opposes a new law by an even larger 17-point margin," while postgraduates (a group that includes doctors who would profit from the bills) supported the bills by a 9-point margin.
In November, 81% said they were satisfied with the health care they receive, and only around 69% said they were satisfied with their coverage.
55-57% of Americans by December opposed to the current Congressional bills based on what they had read about them; however, when asked generically whether Congress should vote for or against "a healthcare bill" (rather than the specific bills passed in each chamber), Gallup poll results show opinion evenly divided, fluctuating mostly within the margin of error since September 2009.
By December, more Americans favored the current system than the proposed overhaul, but the public option retains public support, with marginally more (45%) respondents calling the removal of the public option from the Senate bill "not acceptable" than "acceptable" (42%).
The last national polling data from 2009 (December 11–14) came from NBC News
and the Wall Street Journal, which reported "Support for Health Overhaul Wanes;" the poll found 44% of respondents opposed passing the President's plan vs. 41% in favor, compared to 45% favor vs. 39% opposed in September. A December 12 Fox News multi-issue poll found President Obama's approval had "regained some ground" while Congressional healthcare proposals lost ground: 57% opposed the proposals, while 34% support; 41% percent wanted Congress to pass major health care reform legislation in 2009, but 54% would rather Congress "do nothing on health care for now." A CNN
poll taken December 2–3 found 53% supported a public option, but 61% opposed the Senate bill (which at that time included a public option). (On December 17, a NBC/WSJ poll reported only 45% of respondents called removing the public option from the Senate bill "not acceptable.") These numbers show greater opposition in December than found in November Gallup poll data, when 49% opposed passing a bill in 2009 compared to 44% in favor.
A poll released in March 2008 by the Harvard School of Public Health
and Harris Interactive
found that Americans are divided in their views of the US health system, and that there are significant differences by political affiliation. When asked whether the US has the best health care system or if other countries have better systems, 45% said that the US system was best and 39% said that other countries' systems are better. Belief that the US system is best was highest among Republicans (68%), lower among independents (40%), and lowest among Democrats (32%). Over half of Democrats (56%) said they would be more likely to support a presidential candidate who advocates making the US system more like those of other countries; 37% of independents and 19% of Republicans said they would be more likely to support such a candidate. 45% of Republicans said that they would be less likely to support such a candidate, compared to 17% of independents and 7% of Democrats.
Another poll released in February 2008, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health
and Harris Interactive
, indicated that Americans are also divided in their opinions of "socialized medicine
," and this split too correlates strongly with their political party affiliation. Two-thirds of those polled said they understood the term "socialized medicine" very well or somewhat well. When offered descriptions of what such a system could mean, strong majorities believed that it means "the government makes sure everyone has health insurance" (79%) and "the government pays most of the cost of health care" (73%). One-third (32%) felt that socialized medicine is a system where "the government tells doctors what to do". The poll showed "striking differences" by party affiliation. Among Republicans polled, 70% said that socialized medicine would be worse than the current system. The same percentage of Democrats (70%) said that a socialized medical system would be better than the current system. Independents were more evenly split, with 43% saying socialized medicine would be better and 38% worse.
A 2008 survey of over two thousand doctors published in Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that physician
s support universal health care
and national health insurance
by almost 2 to 1.
Polling data from June 2008 show that Americans who are currently covered at work are hesitant about moving away from the employment-based system. Majorities say that it would make it harder to find a plan that meets their needs, make it harder to keep up with administration issues, harder to find and keep coverage, and harder to get health insurance at a good price.
In August 2008, the Chicago Tribune
reported that health care was falling behind in the polls as an issue in the presidential election, having been superseded by the economy, the Iraq War and the price of gasoline. A September 2008 poll of registered voters by the Kaiser Family Foundation
somewhat disputes this conclusion, ranking health care as the third most important issue, superseded only by the economy and only slightly by the Iraq War.
poll in October 2003, 62% of respondents preferred "a universal health insurance program, in which everybody is covered under a program like Medicare that's run by the government and financed by taxpayers," compared to 32% who preferred the current system, in which most people get their health insurance from employers. Of the 62% of people who support universal heath care, 56% would still support a universal health insurance program even if it limited their own choice of doctors, and 63% would still support it even if it meant there were waiting lists for some non-emergency treatments.
According to a New York Times/CBS News
poll in February 2007, 54% of respondents said that "fundamental changes are needed" in the health care system, and 36% said that "Our health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it." 57% were dissatisfied with the quality of health care in this country, although 77% were satisfied with the health care they themselves received. 81% were dissatisfied with the cost of health care, and 52% were dissatisfied with the costs of their own health care. 65% said that providing for the uninsured was more important than keeping costs down. 95% said that it is a serious problem that many Americans do not have health insurance. 64% said that the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans, and 60% would pay higher taxes to do so. But only 43% said that it would be fair for the government in Washington to require all Americans to participate in a national health care plan funded by taxpayers, compared to 48% who said it would be unfair.
report has labeled a proposed plan as a 'lightning rod
' for social debate on health care reform.
of FiveThirtyEight reviewed various measures of public support for a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, the "public option
", in June 2009. The sampled poll results varied between 40% to 83% in support of a government-provided insurance option, with most of the sampled polls showing between 65% and 76% support.,
A New York Times
/CBS News
poll in June 2009 found that Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind a government-run insurance plan. It stated that people think the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector. The poll found that 72% in support of a plan while 20% said they were opposed. Nearly 60% of respondents said that they would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance, and 40% were willing to pay as much as $500 more per year. 56% supported single payer, believing "the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans". However, the poll also found "considerable unease about the impact of heightened government involvement, on both the economy and the quality of the respondents’ own medical care." While 85% supported fundamental restructuring of the health care system, 77% reported that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their own care.
A Washington Post/ABC News
poll also released in June found that "[a] majority of Americans see government action as critical to controlling runaway health-care costs, but there is broad public anxiety about the potential impact of reform legislation and conflicting views about the types of fixes being proposed on Capitol Hill." Respondents were asked if they were concerned that "health-care reform would lead to higher costs, lower quality, fewer choices, a bigger deficit, diminished insurance coverage and more government bureaucracy." In each case, most respondents answered that they were "very concerned." "About six in 10" said that they were at least somewhat concerned about all six potential issues. Over 80% reported that they were satisfied with their own quality of care "and relatively content with their own current expenses." Questions that equated a public plan option with the popular Medicare program or "emphasized the prospect of more choices" received broad support (62%). But questions "framed with an explicit counterargument" received "a more tepid response." Support dropped to 37% when "respondents were told that [a public option] meant some insurers would go out of business." Most (58%) saw "government reform as necessary to stall skyrocketing costs and expand coverage for the uninsured," but 39% were concerned that it "would do more harm than good." When asked how reform would affect their own care, half said they thought it would stay about the same, while 31% expected it to become worse.
Consistent with the June 2009 New York Times/CBS News
poll, in a June 2009 NBC News
/Wall Street Journal survey, 76% said it was either "extremely" or "quite" important to "give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance". As well, 55% specifically supported Obama's plan when read a brief synopsis, which was the 32nd question asked. An August 2009 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, however, found that 47% of Americans opposed the idea of a public option and 43% expressed support. A July survey by Rasmussen Reports
found 50% of Americans opposed and 35% expressed support.
In an August 2009 poll, Survey USA found that the majority of Americans (77%) feel that it is either "Quite Important" or "Extremely Important" to "give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance." When asked to choose between three statements about a "public health plan administered by the federal government", a 46% plurality chose "... patients might not always have access to their choice of doctors and the government would lower costs by limiting medical treatment options and decisions that should be made instead by patients and doctors."
A Pew Research Center
report published on October 8 stated that 55% of Americans favor a government health insurance plan to compete with private plans. The results were very similar to their polling from July, which found 52% support. A USA Today
/Gallup
survey described by a USA Today
article on October 27 found that 50% of Americans supported a government plan proposal and 46% do not.
Between October 28 and November 13, 2009, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin's campaign organization polled Americans to rank their support for various forms of the "public option" currently under consideration by Congress for inclusion in the final health care reform bill. The 83,954 respondents assigned rankings of 0 to 10. A full national option had the most support, with a 8.56 average, while no public option was least favored, with a 1.10 average.
On October 27, journalist Ray Suarez
of PBS
stated that "Public opinion researchers say the tide has been shifting over the last several weeks, and now is not spectacularly, but solidly in favor of a public option."
done over the summer of 2009, surveying a random sample of more than 2,000 physicians, found that most medical doctors, at 73%, support a public option. An IBD/TIPP poll of 1,376 physicians showed that 45% of Doctors "would Consider leaving or taking early retirement" if Congress passes the health care plan wanted by the White House and Democrats. This poll also found that 65% of physicians oppose the White House and Democratic version of health reform. Statistician and polling expert Nate Silver has heavily criticized that IBD/TIPP poll on multiple grounds. Its unusual methodology, the bias in its earlier questioning, the company's poor track record with previous polling in finding a properly random panel, the fact the results were published before the sample could be fully reported, and the fact the full methodology was not published.
A survey reported by the New England Journal of Medicine
in September, based on a random sample of 6,000 physicians from the American Medical Association
, stated that "...it seems clear that the majority of U.S. physicians support using both public and private insurance options to expand coverage."
, a 1987 New York Times/CBS poll showed 78% of people saying that the "government should guarantee medical care to everyone." Between 2003 to 2009, 17 opinion polls showed a majority of the public supports various levels of government involvement in health care in the United States. Many polls, such as ones administered through CNN, AP
-Yahoo, New York Times/CBS News Poll
, and Washington Post/ABC News Poll
, Kaiser Family Foundation
showed a majority in favor of a form of national health insurance, often compared to Medicare. The Civil Society Institute and Physicians for a National Health Program have both found majorities in favor of the government offering guaranteed insurance, and a Quinnipiac
poll in three states in 2008 found majority support for the government ensuring "that everyone in the United States has adequate health-care" among likely Democratic primary voters.
In contrast, a October 2011 Rasmussen Reports
poll of registered voters showed only 35% of respondents in favor of single-payer health care, with a plurality (49%) opposed. Politifact rated a statement by Michael Moore
"false" when he stated that "[t]he majority actually want single-payer health care." Responses on these polls largely depend on the wording. For example, people respond more favorably when they are asked if they want a system "like Medicare," less favorably when stated as "socialized."
resulted in 73% of voters saying yes to the question: "Should the representative from this district be instructed to support legislation creating a cost-effective single payer health insurance system that is available to all residents, and oppose laws penalizing those who fail to obtain health insurance?" A poll in January 2010 produced mixed results and seems to confirm that the wording of questions seems to affect the outcome. When asked "Generally speaking, do you oppose or favour the healthcare reform plan proposed by
President Obama and the Congressional Democrats?" 47% favored or somwehat favoured the plans and 48% opposed or somewhat opposed them. However, when asked the question "Do you support the proposed national near universal healthcare law?." 51% of Massachusetts voters answered no to and 36% responded yes.
The California legislature has twice, in 2006 and 2008 passed a single payer health care bill SB 840. Both times, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
vetoed the bill.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
express a desire for health care reform
Health care reform in the United States
Health care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
because they see health care as too expensive and because they perceive that insurance companies avoid meeting health costs through coverage exclusions, caps, and co-pays. Americans also express concern that the system as a whole does not cover everyone, and some support malpractice reform and Medicare payment reform. Some polls show majority support for the creation of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, known as a public option
Public health insurance option
The public health insurance option is a proposed government-run health insurance agency which competes with other health insurance companies. It is not the same as Publicly-funded health care. Called the public insurance option or public option, for short, it was a proposed health insurance plan...
, or a single-payer health care
Single-payer health care
Single-payer health care is medical care funded from a single insurance pool, run by the state. Under a single-payer system, universal health care for an entire population can be financed from a pool to which many parties employees, employers, and the state have contributed...
system. Many Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
support setting up a single payer health care system (see United States National Health Care Act).
The majority of Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
coalesced in 2009 around private insurance reform proposals (examples included the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009
The proposed America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 was an unsuccessful bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14, 2009. The bill was introduced during the first session of the 111th Congress as part of an effort of the Democratic Party leadership to enact health...
and the Wyden-Bennett Act), and passed a bill in 2010 despite unified Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opposition. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Public opinion hardened around the same levels found prior to enactment, i.e. around 40% favorable and around 50% opposition, with some reporting a majority wanting to repeal the new law. Campaigning on promises to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
(PPACA), Republicans gained more Congressional seats in the November 2010 midterm elections than any party in more than 70 years, and won control of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
General
A 2001 article in Health AffairsHealth Affairs
Health Affairs is a peer-reviewed healthcare journal established in 1981 by John K. Iglehart. It was described by The Washington Post as "the bible of health policy". Health Affairs is indexed and/or abstracted in PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO databases, ProQuest, LexisNexis, Current Contents/Health...
reported on fifty years of surveys finding "much dissatisfaction with the health care system and with private health insurance and managed care companies, and...general support of a national health plan. However, most Americans remain satisfied with their current medical arrangements, do not trust the federal government to do what is right, and do not favor a single-payer type of national health plan." A 2005 article in Health Affairs
Health Affairs
Health Affairs is a peer-reviewed healthcare journal established in 1981 by John K. Iglehart. It was described by The Washington Post as "the bible of health policy". Health Affairs is indexed and/or abstracted in PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO databases, ProQuest, LexisNexis, Current Contents/Health...
stated that "for many years, public opinion surveys have found that 65–86 percent of U.S. respondents support a government guarantee of health care for everyone who needs it."
According to journalist Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter is an American journalist and author who was a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011. He is currently a lead columnist for Bloomberg View, a new commentary website. He is also a contributing correspondent to NBC News, where since 1996 he has appeared...
, most Americans do not consider healthcare is a 'right' in the sense that all people have an inalienable right to care. Self-described liberals tend to see healthcare as such a right, based on a community-centered ethical view of the issue. Self-described conservatives tend to disagree, based on an individual-centered ethical view of the issue.
In an article published in the May/June 2008 issue of Health Affairs, pollsters William McInturff and Lori Weigel concluded that the current health care debate is very similar to that of the early 1990s, when the 1993 Clinton health care plan was under consideration. Similarities noted by the authors include a strong desire for change, a weakening economy, and an increased willingness to accept a larger governmental role in health care. New factors include high military spending and a higher burden placed on businesses by health care costs. However, the authors argue that many of the barriers to reform that existed in the early 1990s are still in play, including a strong resistance to government as the sole provider of care ("'I like national health insurance,' patiently explained one focus-group respondent. 'I just don’t want the government to run it.'"). The authors conclude that incremental change appears more likely than wholesale restructuring of the system.
2010 polling results
In January, CBS reported only 36% of Americans approved of the President's handling of healthcare, while 54% of Americans disapproved, and around 60% disapprove of the two major parties' handling of the issue in Congress. Other news sources reported 55-57% of Americans oppose the current Congressional bills.According to Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
in January 2010, 10% of the American public have withdrawn their support from leading Congressional proposals since June 2009, with a majority opposing them since November 2009. In June 2009, 50% were in favor vs. 45% opposed, but in January 2010, support had dropped to 40% and opposition had increased to 55%. Around 80% say they are satisfied with the health care they receive, and around 70% say they are satisfied with their coverage.
In February 2010, Gallup found a new low of 36% approval for President Obama's handling of healthcare., and Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
found Americans opposing the Congressional bills by a 15-point margin, 56% vs. 41%. The Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
(in representation of Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
) found most Americans expressed "disappointment, frustration and a fair bit of cynicism" with the gridlock over health care reform and that most people, including most Republicans, feel that the delays have more to do with playing politics than doing what is right for the country. Overall Kaiser said respondents were evenly divided about the bills before congress, though only 38% of Americans said they would be happy or relieved if there was no reform legislation passed in 2010 compared to 58% saying they would disappointed or angry.
82% of Obama voters who voted for Republican Senator Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
in Massachusetts support the public option.
On March 22, 2010, one day after the health reform bill was passed by the US House, a Gallup
Gallup
Gallup can refer to:*Gallup, New Mexico*Gallup, South Dakota *George Gallup, American pollster*Elizabeth Wells Gallup, American educator and scholar...
/USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
poll found that 49% of Americans thought the bill was a “good thing,” 40% said it was a “bad thing” and 11% had no opinion. Reacting to the passed bill, 15% of Americans said they were “enthusiastic” about it, 35% were “pleased,” 23% “disappointed,” 19% “angry," and 8% had no opinion. A combined 50% had favorable views, versus 42% had unfavorable views. The poll had a +/- 4 percent margin of error.
2009 polling results
A Pew Research CenterPew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
poll issued in June 2009 found that "most Americans believe that the nation’s health care system is in need of substantial changes." However, the survey found that, compared to the early 1990s when the Clinton Health Reform plan was being considered, fewer Americans believed the country was spending too much on health care, fewer believed that the health care system was in crisis, and fewer supported a complete restructuring of the system. Most supported extending coverage to the uninsured and slowing the increase in health care costs, but neither issue found the same level of support as they did in 1993.
A Time Magazine poll in late July found 80% of Americans support guaranteed issue
Guaranteed issue
Guaranteed issue is a term used in health insurance to describe a situation where a policy is offered to all applicants, regardless of the health status of the applicant...
, i.e. requiring insurance companies "to offer coverage to anyone who applies, even if they have a pre-existing health condition
Pre-existing condition
A pre-existing condition is a risk with extant causes that is not readily compensated by standard, affordable insurance premiums. Pre-existing condition exclusions by the insurance industry are meant to cope with adverse selection by potential customers. Such exclusions have become a topic in the...
."
An August NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll asked Americans on what they felt was "likely to happen" as a result of health care reform: "Health care to illegal immigrants - 55%", "Pay for abortions - 50%", "Government takeover - 54%", and "Government decides on health care for the elderly - 45%".
Gallup polls in August and September 2009 found 44% of men opposed the bills vs. 33% in favor, while 40% of women supported the bills vs. 33% against; young adults and blacks were generally more likely to favor the bills than oppose them, whereas older people, whites, and mixed race persons were more inclined to be against. Gallup noted "a distinct shift against reform among those with four-year college degrees but no postgraduate education; this group opposes a new law by an even larger 17-point margin," while postgraduates (a group that includes doctors who would profit from the bills) supported the bills by a 9-point margin.
In November, 81% said they were satisfied with the health care they receive, and only around 69% said they were satisfied with their coverage.
55-57% of Americans by December opposed to the current Congressional bills based on what they had read about them; however, when asked generically whether Congress should vote for or against "a healthcare bill" (rather than the specific bills passed in each chamber), Gallup poll results show opinion evenly divided, fluctuating mostly within the margin of error since September 2009.
By December, more Americans favored the current system than the proposed overhaul, but the public option retains public support, with marginally more (45%) respondents calling the removal of the public option from the Senate bill "not acceptable" than "acceptable" (42%).
The last national polling data from 2009 (December 11–14) came from NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
and the Wall Street Journal, which reported "Support for Health Overhaul Wanes;" the poll found 44% of respondents opposed passing the President's plan vs. 41% in favor, compared to 45% favor vs. 39% opposed in September. A December 12 Fox News multi-issue poll found President Obama's approval had "regained some ground" while Congressional healthcare proposals lost ground: 57% opposed the proposals, while 34% support; 41% percent wanted Congress to pass major health care reform legislation in 2009, but 54% would rather Congress "do nothing on health care for now." A CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
poll taken December 2–3 found 53% supported a public option, but 61% opposed the Senate bill (which at that time included a public option). (On December 17, a NBC/WSJ poll reported only 45% of respondents called removing the public option from the Senate bill "not acceptable.") These numbers show greater opposition in December than found in November Gallup poll data, when 49% opposed passing a bill in 2009 compared to 44% in favor.
2008 polling results
A poll published in early 2008 had similar findings. Republicans are significantly less likely to give the current system poor reviews, are more likely to report satisfaction with their own care, and less likely to express concern about losing coverage. Differing levels of satisfaction with the current system result in differences in the preferred policy solutions of Democrats and Republicans. Democrats are more likely to believe that the primary responsibility for ensuring access to health care should fall on government, while Republicans are more likely to see health care as an individual responsibility, and are more likely to believe that private industry is more effective in providing coverage and controlling cost than government. Democrats are more likely to support higher taxes to expand coverage, and more likely to require everyone to purchase coverage.A poll released in March 2008 by the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
and Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive , headquartered in New York, New York, is a custom market research firm, known for the Harris Poll. Harris works in a wide range of industries...
found that Americans are divided in their views of the US health system, and that there are significant differences by political affiliation. When asked whether the US has the best health care system or if other countries have better systems, 45% said that the US system was best and 39% said that other countries' systems are better. Belief that the US system is best was highest among Republicans (68%), lower among independents (40%), and lowest among Democrats (32%). Over half of Democrats (56%) said they would be more likely to support a presidential candidate who advocates making the US system more like those of other countries; 37% of independents and 19% of Republicans said they would be more likely to support such a candidate. 45% of Republicans said that they would be less likely to support such a candidate, compared to 17% of independents and 7% of Democrats.
Another poll released in February 2008, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
and Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive , headquartered in New York, New York, is a custom market research firm, known for the Harris Poll. Harris works in a wide range of industries...
, indicated that Americans are also divided in their opinions of "socialized medicine
Socialized medicine
Socialized medicine is a term used to describe a system for providing medical and hospital care for all at a nominal cost by means of government regulation of health services and subsidies derived from taxation. It is used primarily and usually pejoratively in United States political debates...
," and this split too correlates strongly with their political party affiliation. Two-thirds of those polled said they understood the term "socialized medicine" very well or somewhat well. When offered descriptions of what such a system could mean, strong majorities believed that it means "the government makes sure everyone has health insurance" (79%) and "the government pays most of the cost of health care" (73%). One-third (32%) felt that socialized medicine is a system where "the government tells doctors what to do". The poll showed "striking differences" by party affiliation. Among Republicans polled, 70% said that socialized medicine would be worse than the current system. The same percentage of Democrats (70%) said that a socialized medical system would be better than the current system. Independents were more evenly split, with 43% saying socialized medicine would be better and 38% worse.
A 2008 survey of over two thousand doctors published in Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s support universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
and national health insurance
National health insurance
National health insurance is health insurance that insures a national population for the costs of health care and usually is instituted as a program of healthcare reform. It is enforced by law. It may be administered by the public sector, the private sector, or a combination of both...
by almost 2 to 1.
Polling data from June 2008 show that Americans who are currently covered at work are hesitant about moving away from the employment-based system. Majorities say that it would make it harder to find a plan that meets their needs, make it harder to keep up with administration issues, harder to find and keep coverage, and harder to get health insurance at a good price.
In August 2008, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reported that health care was falling behind in the polls as an issue in the presidential election, having been superseded by the economy, the Iraq War and the price of gasoline. A September 2008 poll of registered voters by the Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
somewhat disputes this conclusion, ranking health care as the third most important issue, superseded only by the economy and only slightly by the Iraq War.
Polling results pre-2008
According to a Washington Post-ABC NewsABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
poll in October 2003, 62% of respondents preferred "a universal health insurance program, in which everybody is covered under a program like Medicare that's run by the government and financed by taxpayers," compared to 32% who preferred the current system, in which most people get their health insurance from employers. Of the 62% of people who support universal heath care, 56% would still support a universal health insurance program even if it limited their own choice of doctors, and 63% would still support it even if it meant there were waiting lists for some non-emergency treatments.
According to a New York Times/CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
poll in February 2007, 54% of respondents said that "fundamental changes are needed" in the health care system, and 36% said that "Our health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it." 57% were dissatisfied with the quality of health care in this country, although 77% were satisfied with the health care they themselves received. 81% were dissatisfied with the cost of health care, and 52% were dissatisfied with the costs of their own health care. 65% said that providing for the uninsured was more important than keeping costs down. 95% said that it is a serious problem that many Americans do not have health insurance. 64% said that the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans, and 60% would pay higher taxes to do so. But only 43% said that it would be fair for the government in Washington to require all Americans to participate in a national health care plan funded by taxpayers, compared to 48% who said it would be unfair.
Public option
A CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
report has labeled a proposed plan as a 'lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
' for social debate on health care reform.
Popular opinion
Statistician Nate SilverNate Silver
Nathaniel Read "Nate" Silver is an American statistician, psephologist, and writer. Silver first gained public recognition for developing PECOTA, a system for forecasting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players, which he sold to and then managed for Baseball...
of FiveThirtyEight reviewed various measures of public support for a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, the "public option
Public health insurance option
The public health insurance option is a proposed government-run health insurance agency which competes with other health insurance companies. It is not the same as Publicly-funded health care. Called the public insurance option or public option, for short, it was a proposed health insurance plan...
", in June 2009. The sampled poll results varied between 40% to 83% in support of a government-provided insurance option, with most of the sampled polls showing between 65% and 76% support.,
A New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
/CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
poll in June 2009 found that Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind a government-run insurance plan. It stated that people think the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector. The poll found that 72% in support of a plan while 20% said they were opposed. Nearly 60% of respondents said that they would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance, and 40% were willing to pay as much as $500 more per year. 56% supported single payer, believing "the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans". However, the poll also found "considerable unease about the impact of heightened government involvement, on both the economy and the quality of the respondents’ own medical care." While 85% supported fundamental restructuring of the health care system, 77% reported that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their own care.
A Washington Post/ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
poll also released in June found that "[a] majority of Americans see government action as critical to controlling runaway health-care costs, but there is broad public anxiety about the potential impact of reform legislation and conflicting views about the types of fixes being proposed on Capitol Hill." Respondents were asked if they were concerned that "health-care reform would lead to higher costs, lower quality, fewer choices, a bigger deficit, diminished insurance coverage and more government bureaucracy." In each case, most respondents answered that they were "very concerned." "About six in 10" said that they were at least somewhat concerned about all six potential issues. Over 80% reported that they were satisfied with their own quality of care "and relatively content with their own current expenses." Questions that equated a public plan option with the popular Medicare program or "emphasized the prospect of more choices" received broad support (62%). But questions "framed with an explicit counterargument" received "a more tepid response." Support dropped to 37% when "respondents were told that [a public option] meant some insurers would go out of business." Most (58%) saw "government reform as necessary to stall skyrocketing costs and expand coverage for the uninsured," but 39% were concerned that it "would do more harm than good." When asked how reform would affect their own care, half said they thought it would stay about the same, while 31% expected it to become worse.
Consistent with the June 2009 New York Times/CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
poll, in a June 2009 NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
/Wall Street Journal survey, 76% said it was either "extremely" or "quite" important to "give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance". As well, 55% specifically supported Obama's plan when read a brief synopsis, which was the 32nd question asked. An August 2009 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, however, found that 47% of Americans opposed the idea of a public option and 43% expressed support. A July survey by Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
found 50% of Americans opposed and 35% expressed support.
In an August 2009 poll, Survey USA found that the majority of Americans (77%) feel that it is either "Quite Important" or "Extremely Important" to "give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance." When asked to choose between three statements about a "public health plan administered by the federal government", a 46% plurality chose "... patients might not always have access to their choice of doctors and the government would lower costs by limiting medical treatment options and decisions that should be made instead by patients and doctors."
A Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
report published on October 8 stated that 55% of Americans favor a government health insurance plan to compete with private plans. The results were very similar to their polling from July, which found 52% support. A USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
/Gallup
Gallup
Gallup can refer to:*Gallup, New Mexico*Gallup, South Dakota *George Gallup, American pollster*Elizabeth Wells Gallup, American educator and scholar...
survey described by a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
article on October 27 found that 50% of Americans supported a government plan proposal and 46% do not.
Between October 28 and November 13, 2009, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin's campaign organization polled Americans to rank their support for various forms of the "public option" currently under consideration by Congress for inclusion in the final health care reform bill. The 83,954 respondents assigned rankings of 0 to 10. A full national option had the most support, with a 8.56 average, while no public option was least favored, with a 1.10 average.
On October 27, journalist Ray Suarez
Ray Suarez
Rafael Suarez, Jr. , known as Ray Suarez, is an American broadcast journalist. Suarez joined the PBS NewsHour in 1999 and became a senior correspondent for the evening news program on the PBS television network. He is also host of the international news and analysis public radio program America...
of PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stated that "Public opinion researchers say the tide has been shifting over the last several weeks, and now is not spectacularly, but solidly in favor of a public option."
Physicans
A survey designed and conducted by Drs. Salomeh Keyhani and Alex Federman of Mount Sinai School of MedicineMount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine is an American medical school in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, currently ranked among the top 20 medical schools in the United States. It was chartered by Mount Sinai Hospital in 1963....
done over the summer of 2009, surveying a random sample of more than 2,000 physicians, found that most medical doctors, at 73%, support a public option. An IBD/TIPP poll of 1,376 physicians showed that 45% of Doctors "would Consider leaving or taking early retirement" if Congress passes the health care plan wanted by the White House and Democrats. This poll also found that 65% of physicians oppose the White House and Democratic version of health reform. Statistician and polling expert Nate Silver has heavily criticized that IBD/TIPP poll on multiple grounds. Its unusual methodology, the bias in its earlier questioning, the company's poor track record with previous polling in finding a properly random panel, the fact the results were published before the sample could be fully reported, and the fact the full methodology was not published.
A survey reported by the New England Journal of Medicine
New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of Medicine is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It describes itself as the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world.-History:...
in September, based on a random sample of 6,000 physicians from the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
, stated that "...it seems clear that the majority of U.S. physicians support using both public and private insurance options to expand coverage."
Purchasing mandates
Public opinion polls from 2009 through 2011 continue to find that most Americans reject penalizing people for not buying health insurance. In 2010, voters in at least three states enacted ballot measures to block the federal mandate that is scheduled to take effect in 2014, "laying the foundation for future legal challenges... Oklahoma approved an opt-out ballot initiative by a 2-to-1 margin. Proposition 106 in Arizona gained 55 percent of the vote while Colorado's Amendment 63 was trailing early Wednesday morning. Missouri voters approved a similar measure, Proposition C, with 71 percent support on a primary ballot in August." In November 2011, the issue will appear on the ballot in Ohio, where a Quinnipiac Poll of registered voters found that "when asked if they agree with a mandate that they obtain coverage or face fines, opposition jumped to 67 percent, with just 29 percent backing the mandate."Polling
According to the liberal media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy in ReportingFairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a progressive media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986.FAIR describes itself on its website as "the national media watch group" and defines its mission as working to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity...
, a 1987 New York Times/CBS poll showed 78% of people saying that the "government should guarantee medical care to everyone." Between 2003 to 2009, 17 opinion polls showed a majority of the public supports various levels of government involvement in health care in the United States. Many polls, such as ones administered through CNN, AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
-Yahoo, New York Times/CBS News Poll
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, and Washington Post/ABC News Poll
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
showed a majority in favor of a form of national health insurance, often compared to Medicare. The Civil Society Institute and Physicians for a National Health Program have both found majorities in favor of the government offering guaranteed insurance, and a Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac
This article is about the Native American nation. For the university, see Quinnipiac University.The Quinnipiac — rarely spelled Quinnipiack — is the English name for the Eansketambawg a Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the Wampanoki This article is about the Native...
poll in three states in 2008 found majority support for the government ensuring "that everyone in the United States has adequate health-care" among likely Democratic primary voters.
In contrast, a October 2011 Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
poll of registered voters showed only 35% of respondents in favor of single-payer health care, with a plurality (49%) opposed. Politifact rated a statement by Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
"false" when he stated that "[t]he majority actually want single-payer health care." Responses on these polls largely depend on the wording. For example, people respond more favorably when they are asked if they want a system "like Medicare," less favorably when stated as "socialized."
Legislative
A November 2008 ballot initiative in 10 legislative districts of MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
resulted in 73% of voters saying yes to the question: "Should the representative from this district be instructed to support legislation creating a cost-effective single payer health insurance system that is available to all residents, and oppose laws penalizing those who fail to obtain health insurance?" A poll in January 2010 produced mixed results and seems to confirm that the wording of questions seems to affect the outcome. When asked "Generally speaking, do you oppose or favour the healthcare reform plan proposed by
President Obama and the Congressional Democrats?" 47% favored or somwehat favoured the plans and 48% opposed or somewhat opposed them. However, when asked the question "Do you support the proposed national near universal healthcare law?." 51% of Massachusetts voters answered no to and 36% responded yes.
The California legislature has twice, in 2006 and 2008 passed a single payer health care bill SB 840. Both times, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
vetoed the bill.
See also
- Health care in the United StatesHealth care in the United StatesHealth care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities. Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by the private sector...
- Health care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
- Health policy analysis
- Health care politicsHealth care politicsHealth policy can be defined as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society." According to the World Health Organization, an explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future; it outlines...
- Health insurance cooperativeHealth insurance cooperativeA health insurance cooperative is a cooperative entity that has the goal of providing health insurance and is also owned by the people that the organization insures...