ABC/WaPo Poll: Public Supports Health Care for All

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The public's growing unease with the current health care system has built support for a new approach that would mean care for all Americans and changes in laws governing prescription drugs, a poll suggests.

A sizable majority, 70 percent, said it should be legal for Americans to buy prescription drugs outside the United States, according to the ABC News-Washington Post poll. One in eight respondents said they or someone in their home has done just that. Such purchases can save money but they violate the law.

The poll released Sunday found that more than half of Americans, 54 percent, are dissatisfied with the overall quality of health care in the United States while 44 percent are satisfied. That dissatisfaction is 10 percentage points higher than in 2000 and higher than it has been in the past decade when compared with earlier surveys.

While a solid majority of people tended to be happy with their own quality of health care, the poll found "significant concern with the system more broadly," said ABC pollster Gary Langer, who directed the extensive survey.

Those concerns included worries about future costs, declining coverage and the problems of people who lack insurance.
more...........................

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-health-care-opinion,0,4932914.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[mhr]

1. Take That Republicans, The People Want Socialized Medicine

I'll enjoy watching each and everyone of you swallow that bitter pill!

[caledesi]

4. Hear! Hear! This is so good. The Repugs are going down ugly!

[mediaman007]

6. Businesses should support universal care...

Clinton had the right idea 10 years ago. He was a visionary.

If the United States took health care away from businesses, then they could all compete on a level playing field. There are certain things worth paying taxes for: clean air, clean water and health care.

It seems to me that the privatizing government activities has not really lowered costs, and worse, only the executives have lined their pockets. When the military transported fuel in the first Gulf War, we didn't worry about the cost of oil. Hand it to Haliburton and we are paying outrageous prices.

One more thought: How much do we pay for hiring the private soldiers to do our work in South America. But I digress.

[kayell]

9. I wonder how much it costs the average business to provide

and administer healthcare plans? Of course the advantage to businesses can be that employees feel locked in by the fear of being without healthcare for any period of time.

[The Zanti Regent]

2. Guess Harry and Louise have to come out of retirement

After all, it's wrong to have Government bureaucrats rationing health care, but it's right to have Corporate accountants doing the same thing!

[kayell]

3. Time to rethink that "Kucinich isn't electable line"?

I believe his support of universal healthcare is one of the issues the naysayers were pointing to as too radical for the American public.

10 Key Issues
http://kucinich.us/issues/issue_10key.htm

<1> Universal Health Care with a Single Payer Plan
Over 40 million Americans have no health care and 30 million more have only minimal coverage. Those with coverage often pay exorbitant amounts. The current profit-driven system, dominated by private insurance firms and their bureaucracies, has failed.

A Kucinich administration would establish streamlined national health insurance, Enhanced Medicare for All. It would be publicly-financed health care, privately delivered. It would provide affordable prescription drugs, thanks to bulk purchasing. The General Accounting Office of Congress has concluded:

"If the U.S. were to shift to a system of universal coverage and a single payer, as in Canada, the savings in administrative costs would be more than enough to offset the cost."

[zelda7743]

5. Doctors pushing for universal health care

You can learn more by checking out: http://www.pnhp.org

[classics]

10. Insurance rates will continue to double every few years.

Or worse, given the current rate of profit taking by insurance companies.

[snippy]

7. I love to point out to kreepers and shittoheads that the US government

believes that the people of Iraq should have government provided universal healthcare and education.

[Rose Siding]

8. We send aid to other countries that have UHC

That has always steamed me. It isn't that I don't want them to have HC. But sheesh, cut back to what WE have before sending $ if we can't afford NHC.

[camero]

11. Health Care is not a commodity

It is a life and death issue and should be a government function just like police and fire.

It's funny but conservatives all have more respect for property than for life.