In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health

Source: NY Times



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print


June 21, 2009

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health
By KEVIN SACK and MARJORIE CONNELLY

Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll found that most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance and that they said the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector.

Yet the survey also revealed considerable unease about the impact of heightened government involvement, on both the economy and the quality of the respondents’ own medical care. While 85 percent of respondents said the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, 77 percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of their own care.


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Across a number of questions, the poll detected substantial support for a greater government role in health care, a position generally identified with the Democratic Party. When asked which party was more likely to improve health care, only 18 percent of respondents said the Republicans, compared with 57 percent who picked the Democrats. Even one of four Republicans said the Democrats would do better.

The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan — something like Medicare for those under 65 — that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. ....................

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

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Congress has the people behind them--yet they are giving up crap.
We ALL need to make an effort to contact ALL our congress people PLEASE -send them this poll.
They are just filling their campaign coffers for the most part!!

And yes--get the White House's case also.

............think we're going to end up with.

I support HR 676 after seeing what is called quality health care in TN & VA where clearly Profit Care is more important than Patient Care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62

"American public does not want a government run health system" Heard many times by any GOP and some Democrats in congress and media.


Say what?

This survey is on having a public option with private options as well - that is not a "government run health system".

The NYT identifies the crux of the problem with regard to single payer:

"While 85 percent of respondents said the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, 77 percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of their own care. "

People buy that there is a problem that is big enough to justify major changes, but many want theirs to stay the same.

govt-run health care, the govt owns the hospitals, hires the doctors, etc. Being proposed is a government run payment system, like Medicare, not a government run health care delivery system.

GOP language choices are almost always made to smear and obfuscate, not to describe accurately.

And no, people don't want their health care payment system to stay the same. They want to keep their freedom of choice as to doctors and hospitals, which no one is proposing to take away anyway. But, they want their health care insurance to be cheaper and they don't want to be denied lifesaving coverage when they get really sick, as private insurers often try to get away with. And they don't want their fellow Americans either depending upon emergency rooms, which raises costs for everyone, or dying for lack of care.

As usual, IMO, the Republicans are doing a great job with propaganda and the Democrats are doing a lousy job.

both on what the phrase would mean and on the politics. The Democrats need someone to articulate this - the way you did in the second to last paragraph.

They love confusing 'socialized medicine' with socialized INSURANCE.

It's now or never. And most of us know it.

Business likes health dare attached to jobs because it makes changing job more scary.

We've wanted this for a long time. And they are surprised by this finding?

Jeez....look at these numbers. 50% of respondents who are Republicans said they support this!!!

We have such a complex health care infrastructure (more like chaos).

But as one of the most, if not the most, ineffient healthcare "systems" in the world we would have to figure out what to do with the approximately 10% of the total work force (and that's 10% of the TOTAL work force, not 10% of the healthcare workforce) that would be thrown into unemployment by a suddenly efficient and effective healthcare system.

For instance a well run public system such as in Canada, France, or Germany requires only 1 administrative staff for four patients whereas we require two administrative staff workers for every one patient (insurance workers, salesmen, marketers, accountants, etc). Thus to go to that kind of system would simply throw absolutely huge numbers of people into the workforce at a time when unemployment is already very high (in fact we would almost instantly end up with an unemployment rate of about 20% instead of the current 9 (soon to be 10)%

grossly inefficent.

maybe we can get unemployment down to zero.

:sarcasm:

me thinks if your job is dependent on gross inefficency and harm, even death to others, maybe you should consider another job.

Europe was extremely lucky in an ironic sort of way with their health care system. Their entire infrastructures, government, business, and hard infrastructure was virtually wiped out. This made it very easy for them to start from scratch on their systems.

In some ironic way we would have been better off having a depression instead of preventing it as far as being able to get what we want. FDR came into office at a time when things were so bad that he was much more easily able to convince the country that radical things had to be done.

The reason they do what they do is because you have to have money to run, and you have to have money to get votes (advertising). So, when you call as the voter, you know the person they need all the money to get, you are short-circuiting the process. When you call, be nice, be polite and just let the staffer answering the call, you are for single payer health care. Polls only mean so much, when the congress person and your two senators get a phone call from an actual voter, that counts big time!!! So, use the toll free phone number 1-877-762-8762 and ask for your 2 senators and your one congress person and let them know, it does make a difference.!!!

Why don't at least 87% of Democratic Senators support it?

Republicans want a weak America with sick people. Single-payer would lead to a strong America.

Republicans are happy that 100,000 Americans die each year, due to lack of healthcare.

For a strong America and a moral America, not to mention a first-world, civilized America, we need single-payer healthcare. It's as "communistic" as the single-payer fire and police protection.

I don't give a damn if health care is 17% of the GDP; it shouldn't be half that!

I find it hard to believe that 77% of people across the U.S. are satisfied with their coverage. If THIS sample supports the public plan that much, then the public option must have lots of support, despite the misinformation I still hear from people.

has done a superb job of instilling the fear factor in THOSE people to be WITHOUT their screw'em good health care programs. Americans are basically wimps that allow BIB business and BIG government to bulldoze them while they standby.

try to stop an effective government run option? People like Chuck Schumer and Max Baucus?

This should be the kiss of death for them, but hardly anyone seems to realize that there are Democrats as well as Republicans trying to kill effective health care reform. Attack ads should be running already.

is the website. http://guaranteedhealthcare4all.org/

Happy volunteering/donating!

what the majority wants has NO influence on the criminals who "represent" us. This is a corporate run state, it's plain to see.

the deficit than about health care. I'd love to see that poll analyzed, but Democrats need to start doing a better job on pr.

Just a slight exaggeration.

Take notice, Senate.