September 2008

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September 2008

300 North Lee Street, Suite 400 · Alexandria, Virginia 22314 · 703.684.3325 · FAX 703.684.9295

Public Opinion on Coverage for the Uninsured

Presented to

The Alliance for Health Reform

Gary A. Ferguson, Senior Vice President

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2008 2007

Your health care coverage 65 66

Poor people who do not have health care insurance 60 62

Working people who do not have health care insurance 59 55

Hospitals 59 60

Medicare program 56 56

Medicaid 53 54

Social Security 50 52

Universal health care coverage 48 51

HMOs 43 44

Our current health care system 41 41

Health Insurance Companies 38 38

Pharmaceutical Companies 36 37

Ranked by Total Mean Score

Feeling Thermometer: Health Care100

0

o

o

Americans have a very positive view of their own health care coverage. They also have relatively warm feelings toward the uninsured. Perceptions of the term universal health care coverage are driven by partisanship.

GOP IND DEM30 50 63

Source: American Viewpoint for the Federation of American Hospitals; February 2008 N = 1200 Registered Voters Margin of Error = ±2.8%

3

5%

5%

8%

11%

11%

12%

14%

15%

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

Being able to afford to buy, orpay the mortgage for a home

Being able to pay for collegefor your children

Losing your job or having yourhours or pay reduced

Losing your health carebenefits

Having enough money toretire

The price of gasoline

The amount of taxes you andyour family pay

Being able to pay for yourfamily’s health care benefits

Now I would like to read you a list of financial concerns that some people have said worry or concern them. Please listen as I read the list and tell me which one of these worries or concerns you the most

Health care remains an economic security issue. More than one in four Americans express concern about their ability to pay for health care benefits or that they might lose their health benefits.

26%


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Most Important Health Care Issues for the President and Congress to Address

9%

13%

14%

46%

8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Allow Americans to buyprescription drugs from

Canada

Entitlement reform of SocialSecurity, Medicare and

Medicaid

Require that Medicarenegotiates prescription drug

prices

Address medicalmalpractice reform

Provide health carecoverage for the 47 million

uninsured Americans

I would now like to read to you several issues related to health care and have you tell me which one you think is most important for the next President and Congress to address. (2007)

(43%)

(11%)

(12%)

(19%)

(8%)

#1 issue across partisan divide

GOP – 27%IND – 42%DEM – 65%

Working Women – 60%Sub. Women – 56%

East – 54%IND Women – 49%

Employer provided coverage – 49%30-54 – 47%

Undecided Presidential Vote – 43%

Next looming issue in terms of health care reform and economic stability has

declined significantly


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Do you think it is the responsibility of the Federal government to:

The responsibility of the federal government in the health care debate is clearly driven by partisanship and voters’ perception of the role of government.

Total GOP IND DemsEmployer Provided

Uninsured Pool

G'vt Should Do More

G'vt Should Do Less

Provide universal government-run health care coverage to all Americans

30% 14% 29% 44% 29% 36% 41% 15%

Assist those Americans who can least afford health care coverage to purchase it

35% 28% 34% 42% 31% 33% 38% 29%

Not the Federal government's responsibility

31% 54% 32% 11% 33% 25% 17% 52%


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VOTERS SAY THAT REFORMS ARE NECESSARY.

7

56%

21%21%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

On the whole, the state of the health caresystem works pretty well and only minorchanges are necessary to make it work

better

There are some good things in our healthcare system, but major changes are needed

Our health care system has so much wrongwith it that we need to completely rebuild it

View of the Health Care System Overall—Keep what is good, but major change needed

Suburban Women – 68% Employer Provided Insurance – 59%

Purchase Own – 56%No Insurance – 42%

Uninsured Pool – 50%

No Insurance

41%

Degree of Change GOP IND DEM

Minor Change 38% 21% 8%

Major Change 49% 55% 62%

Rebuild 9% 23% 30%


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26%

6%

65%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Major changes Minor changes No changes

View of Coverage for the Uninsured—Overwhelming sentiment that major change is needed

Dems – 84%IND – 65%GOP – 43%

Uninsured Pool – 72%Employer Provided Insurance - 63%

Purchase Own Insurance – 66%No Insurance – 74%

Undecided Presidential Vote – 57%


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Total Favor

Total Oppose

Net Favor

Net Favor Employer Provided Insurance

Net Favor Purchase

Own Insurance

Net Favor Uninsured

Pool

Net Favor

GOP

Net Favor IND

Net Favor DEM

Allow small businesses and the self-employed to purchase health insurance through any organization or association to increase their purchasing power.

87% 8% 79% 84% 81% 81% 82% 81% 76%

Offer tax benefits for those who purchase their own health insurance equal to the tax benefits offered to those with employer-provided coverage.

82% 13% 69% 70% 76% 74% 70% 71% 67%

Expand Medicaid, the government program providing health care coverage for poor Americans to cover more of those with lower incomes.

68% 28% 41% 38% 27% 51% 7% 36% 76%

Require all large employers to purchase coverage for their employees or to pay into a government fund to subsidize coverage for the uninsured.

68% 28% 40% 38% 32% 44% 11% 33% 70%

Require all Americans to have health care coverage and assist those who need help to purchase that coverage.

64% 32% 32% 28% 22% 36% 3% 25% 63%

Expand government to operate a public insurance plan similar to Medicare that could be purchased by anyone instead of a private insurance plan.

63% 32% 31% 28% 24% 45% -2% 31% 60%

Require only children to have health care coverage and assist those families who need help to purchase that coverage.

57% 39% 18% 22% 7% 23% 11% 21% 21%

I would now like to read to you several elements of different reforms that would lead to all Americans having health care coverage or at least significantly reduce the number of uninsured and have you tell me whether you favor or oppose each.

Two elements of reform score extremely well across the partisan divide and across coverage classifications. The remaining elements are acceptable to all but Republicans.


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3%

28%

62%

3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Not at all important

Not too important

Somewhat important

Very important

How important is it that any reforms to health care allow people to keep their current employer-based coverage?

Voters say that retaining employer-based coverage is a critical element of any health care reform.

Employer Provided – 68%Uninsured Pool – 61%Purchase Own – 56%

McCain Voters – 65%Obama Voters – 58%

Undecided – 67%


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CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING THIS ISSUE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT.

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8%

28%

55%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Not at all important

Not too important

Somewhat important

Very important

Shortly after taking office, how important is it that the next President and Congress handle the issue of health care coverage for the 47 million uninsured?

83% believe immediate action is required of the next President and Congress to address coverage for the uninsured.

Uninsured Pool – 62%Retired Women – 62%

IND Voters – 49%Suburban Women – 61%

Undecided Presidential Voters – 58%

83%


Documents

September 2008