American Thoughts on Health Reform

 
Last month’s CBS News/New York Times poll on “The Debate over Health Care” provides useful information on the public’s view about several reform components being considered by Congress this summer.

 

At Policy Prescriptions, for health reform: universal healthcare, individual mandates, guaranteed issue, community rating, subsidies for the poor, and a public not-for-profit option for health insurance. This recent poll explores the public’s views about these and other options for health reform. 

Poll Graphic

 

Universal Healthcare

A large majority of Americans (including majorities of Republicans – 54%, Democrats – 64%, and Independents -73%) view the uninsured as a “very serious” problem for the country. Fifty-seven percent of Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes in order to ensure that all Americans had health insurance that they could not lose. Sixty-four percent think that the the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans.

 

Guaranteed Issue

 

Overwhelming majorities of Americans across party lines think that the government should require health insurance companies to cover all patients regardless of preexisting medical conditions. Overall seventy-five percent of respondents approve of guaranteed issue (64% among Republicans, 88% among Democrats, and 70% among Independents) 

 

The Public Plan

When asked about who would do a better job providing health care, fifty percent of the public thinks government would do better than the private sector (led predominantly by Democratic respondents).  Seventy-two percent of Americans (led by Democrats and Independents) favor a government administered health insurance plan that could compete with private insurers.  In contrast to the political rhetoric, one of every two Republican respondents favors a public plan.

 

Individual Mandates

However, even with provision of subsidies for the poor, only 48 percent of Americans think that the government should mandate insurance for all Americans. Thirty-eight percent believe the government should not institute an individual mandate.

Americans are even more leery of an employer mandate (the sort of “pay-or-play” model seen with the Massachusetts’s health reform plan). More respondents think employer mandates are a bad idea than a good idea (28 percent vs. 26 percent) with 37% of Republicans and 31% of Independents viewing pay-or-play as a “bad idea”. Many respondents were unsure about mandates.

 

Commentary:

This new poll sheds important light on the public’s view about the current health care debate. As Congress returns from the July 4th break to consider health reform, Members should keep in mind that their constituents overwhelmingly support insurance market reforms such as guaranteed issue. There even exists a moderate amount of support for a public plan option, even among Republicans. However, implementing an individual mandate (which health insurers demand as a trade off for market reforms) may be a politically difficult albeit necessary part of health reform.  Perhaps coupling this with other enticing offers for the American public (such as retaining the tax-exemption on employer sponsored health insurance) might make an individual mandate more appealing to those who remain undecided.

 

by

Cedric K. Dark, MD, MPH

 

Read the CBS/New York Times Poll Here.