Most in U.S. (59.9%) want public health option: poll

[kpete]

Source: Reuters

Most in U.S. want public health option: poll

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Americans would like to see a "public option" in health insurance reform but doubt anything Congress does will lower costs or improve care in the short term, according to a poll released on Thursday.

The survey of 2,999 households by Thomson Reuters Corp shows a public skeptical about the cost, quality and accessibility of medical care.

Just under 60 percent of those surveyed said they would like a public option as part of any final healthcare reform legislation, which Republicans and a few Democrats oppose.

........

* Believe in public option: 59.9 percent yes, 40.1 percent no.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5B20OL20091203

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Wow. One might think that might matter to Congress......

[TheCoxwain]

9. Senate's Whole purpose in Life is to BLOCK public sentiment with "wiser" choices

Senate is useless bloody organization ... All it's roles can be passed to the house and the institute should be scrapped.


Infact .. it's high time we had a Government 2.0

[Bette Noir]

17. I've thought about that.

The more I learn about the Senate, the more I think it should be abolished. Unfortunately, that would require a Constitutional amendment, which would have to go through the Senate itself. They're not about to vote themselves out of their cushy jobs!

The second best thing would be to make bribery illegal. Since the Supreme Court itself has decided that it's okay for government officials to take money from people and corporations and still vote on issues that affect them, it'll take a change in the makeup of the Supreme Court to make that change.

[truedelphi]

18. Great little diagram there. Will copy it to use

IF it's okay with you

[closeupready]

15. Not in a plutocracy, it doesn't.

n/t

[boycottfaux]

2. MAJORITY Favor Public OPTION

Anyone think FAUX will bring up this AP poll? They haven't even explained the word 'OPTION' to their UNinformed viewers . .

[rudy23]

3. America's not about what people want, it's about corporate servitude.

With lots of shiny toys.

[mbperrin]

4. Even greater percentages support single payer, the REAL solution!

http://www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html


July 2009 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll
Do you favor or oppose, "Having a national health plan in which all Americans would get their insurance through an expanded, universal form of Medicare-for all?"
Favor 58%, Oppose 38%, NA/DK 3%

Link
July
2009 Time Magazine Would you favor or oppose a program that creates a national single-payer plan similar to Medicare for all, in which the government would provide healthcare insurance to all Americans?
Favor 49%, Oppose 46%, NA/DK 5%
Link
Feb.
2009

Grove Insight Opinion Research "When given a choice of the current system or one "like Medicare that is run by the government and financed by taxpayers," voters overwhelmingly chose the latter. A solid majority (59%) say they would prefer a national health insurance program that covers everyone, over the current system of private insurance offered to most through their emloyer."
Link
Feb.
2009

New York Times/CBS News Poll Americans are more likely today to embrace the idea of the government providing health insurance than they were 30 years ago. 59% say the government should provide national health insurance, including 49% who say such insurance should cover all medical problems.

Nov. 2008 Ballot initiative question in Massachusetts, “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?” "....local ballot initiatives supporting single payer and opposing individual mandates passed by landslide margins in all ten legislative districts where they appeared. With almost all precincts tallied, roughly 73 percent of 181,000 voters in the ten districts voted YES...."

Apr. 2008 Quinnipiac Poll in PA, FL, OH
9. Do you think it's the government's responsibility to make sure that everyone in the United States has adequate health-care, or don't you think so?
In Pennsylvania; Yes 65%, No 31%, NA/DK 4%

Link
Apr. 2008 Annals of Internal Medicine, Study of Physician Support of National Health Insurance. (Includes a comparison of 2002 and 2007 surveys.) "...59 percent of them 'support government legislation to establish national health insurance,' while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral."
Link
Dec.
2007

AP - Yahoo News Poll
Do you consider yourself a supporter of a single-payer health care system, that is a national health plan financed by taxpayers in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan, or not?
Yes 54%, No 44%, Refused / Not Answered 2%
Link
Dec. 2007 AP - Yahoo Poll
14. "Which comes closest to your view?
34% - The United States should continue the current health insurance system in which most people get their health insurance from private employers, but some people have no insurance
65% - The United States should adopt a universal health insurance program in which everyone is covered under a program like Medicare that is run by the government and financed by taxpayers
2% - Refused / Not Answered"

Link
Dec. 2007 New Hampshire Medical Society, Survey of New Hampshire Physicians "Two thirds of New Hampshire physicians, including 81% of primary care clinicians, indicated they “would favor a simplified payor system in which public funds, collected through taxes, were used to pay directly for services to meet the basic healthcare needs of all citizens.”
Link
May 2007 CNN/Opinion Research Poll
30. Do you think the government should provide a national health insurance program for all Americans, even if this would require higher taxes?
64% - Yes,
35% - No,
2% - No opinion

Link
Feb. 2007 New York Times/CBS News Poll
27. Do you think the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans, or isn't this the responsibility of the federal government?
64% - Guarantee
27% - Not responsibility
9% - DK/NA

30. If you had to choose, which do you think is more important for the country to do right now, maintain the tax cuts enacted in recent years or make sure all Americans have access to health care?
18% - Cutting taxes
76% - Access to health insurance
1% - Neither
2% - Both
4% - DK/NA

Link
Feb. 2007 Minnesota Medicine Magazine, Poll of Minnesota Physicians "Of 390 physicians, 64% favored a single-payer system, 25% HSAs, and 12% managed care. The majority of physicians (86%) also agreed that it is the responsibility of society, through the government, to ensure that everyone has access to good medical care."
Link
Oct. 2005 The Harris Poll
“Please indicate whether you support or oppose the policy.”
“Universal health insurance”
75% - Strongly/Somewhat Favor
17% - Strongly/Somewhat Oppose

Link
Nov. 2004 Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Poll Report Public Opinion of "Consumer-Driven" Plans
Link
Oct. 2003 Washington Post/ABC News Poll
49. Which would you prefer – (the current health insurance system in the United States, in which most people get their health insurance from private employers, but some people have no insurance); or (a universal health insurance program, in which everyone is covered under a program like Medicare that's run by the government and financed by taxpayers?)
62 % Universal
33% Current
6% No opinion
Link
BACK TO HOME PAGE

[JDPriestly]

11. Thanks, mbperrin

[Enthusiast]

14. Well done, mbperrin!

But it simply doesn't matter what the American people want any longer. We don't want to be in Afghanistan either. They will continue to use the M$M to obfuscate the truth.

[mbperrin]

16. Yes, and I hate that.

I know you do, too.

[Flaneur]

5. And this is a democracy. So, the public option must be coming.

Oh, nevermind, silly me.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. So The Current Bill Snatches Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

Oh boy!

[bvar22]

7. That would mean something if the USA was a democracy.

It doesn't.

Our politicians Sold Out long ago.

The Corporate Oligarchs in The Senate will decide our fate.
Our voice means nothing to them.



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[debbierlus]

8. Why don't they ask the question abou the actual policy

I don't think the majority of the public things the public option only covers 5% of the population.

Do you favor a public option available to ALL American citizens or the current plan that only allows 5% of the population to participate?

[dflprincess]

20. I think a lot of people who support the public option

(and who don't pay as much attention as we do) think "public option" means Medicare for All.

There will be a lot of angry people when it becomes clear that the bills making their way through Congress now are just efforts to protect the status quo.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Why do you believe that they don't know?

I believe most know that a public option is A Public Option....an option out of many......

Not a SINGLE Payer system.

I think they get it.

[dflprincess]

22. Purely anedoctal

In conversations with friends and coworkers (and some of these chats go back a few weeks) who are not actively involved. Many of them are people who claim they "aren't interested" in politics (never undersatnd that attitude). I've just found that a lot of them thought "public option" = "single payer". Most of them are not happy to hear it does not.

[bergie321]

10. 100%

Of insurance companies are against the public option. Who do you think the Republicans and Corpocrats will side with?

[Altoid_Cyclist]

12. Government to the peasants; leave the thinking to us.

We were elected to serve our constituents, but stop bothering us with your petty problems like unemployment, healthcare, the economy, the on going wars, the housing debacle...etc.

We're too busy to actually listen to what you want, so try not to bother us until we're running for re-election. We'll pretend to at least listen then.

[Soylent Brice]

13. K&R

[Xenotime]

19. PASS! pass Pass PASS! We have to do it NOW!