These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
Just 23% Believe Health Care Costs Will Go Down if Reform Passes Congress
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Americans are fairly evenly divided on the health care reform proposals working their way through Congress , but most remain convinced that the plans will raise costs and hurt the quality of the care they receive.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% are in favor of the reform effort proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats while 49% are opposed. Those figures include 25% who Strongly Favor the plans and 41% who are Strongly Opposed.
The specifics of what will be in a health care reform plan remains hotly debated in Congress at the moment. When a final proposal emerges, it is possible that support could move significantly in either direction.
Currently, 76% of Democrats favor the proposal and 76% of Republicans are opposed. Among the unaffiliated, 35% are in favor and 60% are opposed. Notably, just 16% of unaffiliateds Strongly Favor the legislative effort while 47% Strongly Oppose it.
At this time, voters are skeptical about the ability of the reform effort to help control the cost of health care. Just 23% believe passage of the reform legislation will lead to lower health care costs. Most voters (53%) say it will lead to higher costs, while 18% expect prices to remain about the same.
Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party overwhelmingly expect the passage of health care reform to lead to higher costs. Democrats are fairly evenly divided. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of those in the president's party say reform will lead to higher costs while 35% predict the opposite. Another 30% of Democrats say the reform will have no impact on the cost of health care.
By 50% to 23% margin , voters expect that passage of the congressional health care reform bill will cause the quality of care to go down.
Over the past month, support for the legislation has ranged from a high of 50% in late June to a low of 44% last week . Opposition has ranged from a low of 45% in late June to a high of 53% last week. The number who Strongly Oppose the plan has consistently been higher than the number who Strongly Favor it.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters say it's at least somewhat likely that it will be passed this year. That figure includes 15% who say it's very likely to pass.
While voters like the general concept of health care reform, they see cost, not universal coverage, as the biggest health care concern. Also, 78% believe that health care reform is likely to lead to middle class tax hikes. Figuring out how to pay for the trillion dollar-plus plan has presented a significant challenge for congressional Democrats working on the legislation.
Another factor that may be playing a role is the underlying public skepticism about the legislative process. Americans by a two-to-one margin believe that no matter how bad things are, Congress can always make it worse .
Overall, just 35% of Americans rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent . But 70% of those who have health insurance rate their own coverage as good or excellent . A major hurdle for those pushing health care reform is convincing those who already have health insurance that they will be even better off down the road.
One key item in the overall debate is a government health insurance company that would compete with private insurers. Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters favor a public health care option while 50% are opposed .
The president has recently become more vocal in promoting the plan as opposition from senators and congressmen in his own party have stalled it on Capitol Hill. The president's job approval ratings have slipped some over the past month. That may be the result of economic conditions, the health care debate or possibly his response to a question about the incident involving a white Cambridge police officer and a black Harvard professor.
# # #
To view the original report, please use this link: Health Care Reform Will Cost Us an Arm and a Leg