Give the People What They Want
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwSpepjnpWQ[/youtube]
Another very interesting poll is from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. (Excerpts below the jump are from the full report in pdf at the link.)
- Only 14 percent of Americans think the health care system needs a major overhaul, but 51 percent agree with the statement “there are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed”
- A majority rate the nation’s health care system as fair (30 percent) or poor (29 percent). Only a small minority give it excellent (6 percent) or very good (10 percent) marks
- Between 68 percent and 88 percent of Americans either strongly or somewhat support health reform ideas
such as national health plans, a public plan option, guaranteed issue, expansion of Medicare and Medicaid, and employer and individual mandates - Reaction to capping the current tax exclusion of employment-based health benefits is mixed. Nearly one-half of Americans (47 percent) would switch to a lower-cost plan if the tax exclusion were capped, 38 percent would stay on their current plan and pay the additional taxes, and 9 percent do not know what they would do
- Individuals with employment-based health benefits are confident that employers will continue to offer such benefits. They are much less confident that they would be able to afford coverage on their own, even if employers gave them the money they currently spend on health benefits. However, were employers to stop offering coverage, respondents report that they are likely to purchase it on their own
- Many consumers report they are changing the way they use the health care system in response to rising health care costs. Seventy-nine percent of those who experienced increases in the amounts they are responsible for paying under their health insurance plan say these increased costs have led them to try to take better care of themselves, and 77 percent indicate they choose generic drugs more often. Sixty-seven percent also say they talk to the doctor more carefully about treatment options and costs and 64 percent go to the doctor only for more serious conditions or symptoms. One-quarter (25 percent) also report they did not fill or skipped doses of their prescribed medications in response to increased costs
- Confidence about the health care systems decreases as Americans look to the future. For example, 57 percent of Americans indicate they are extremely or very confident about their ability to get the treatments they need today, but only 35 percent are confident about their ability to get needed treatments during the next 10 years, and just 22 percent are confident about this once they are eligible for Medicare
Click for larger image
The entire report is worth looking at. There is alot of interesting data there.
ALSO — Consumer Reports recently released a poll that showed strong support (71%) for revisions to the system that made sure that more folks were adequately covered. It also shows a fair bit of anxiety about getting care or affording care in the future.
Tags: Health Care
If it were that important to the Founders, they would’ve had an amendment stating we’re strictly a capitalist economy, not just a democracy….
Basically many of the “Socialist!!!” screamers’ arguments are based solely upon wishful thinking.
I think Democrats need to stop doing defense and go on the offense about healthcare. Republicans have horror stories from Canada, well there’s plenty of horror stories right here in America. We need to start telling them.
UI: What “horror stories” do they have? Making people wait for heart surgery? Anyone with the slightest interest in that field knows that procedures like angioplasty aren’t much more effective than medication and lifestyle changes. Making someone wait six months is hardly an enormous hardship.
Other than that, the horror stories boil down to rich Canadians opting for US care so they don’t have to wait.
And at the Mexican border, many Americans and immigrants are getting their care in Mexico where it is so much cheaper. Dental care seems to be the new thing — complete with special buses to take you from the US to the medical center and a burgeoning vacation industry where you can get major dental procedures done for 25 – 30% of the costs here. A big deal for those with no insurance.
The nightmare stories are meant to reinforce the idea that there is something extraordinary and infallible about the medical system here. And this is probably said by folks who haven’t had to schedule non-emergency surgery lately.
Of course the people want this – they know the system is broken. Go talk to people about their health insurance. 95% of them are frustrated… even if the procedure ends up covered.
One of my dearest friends has cancer. I’d go with her to the oncologist (and can’t imagine bargain shopping that service). I’d tell her I didn’t know how she endured chemotherapy, and she said that chemo wasn’t half as bad as constantly dealing with her health insurance company who started out every claim discussion with denying.
Not only did she have to fight cancer, she had to fight her insurance company as well. And her story is not the exception – it’s the rule.
Pandora: Bingo. I have no complaints with my health care. I have enormous complaints with my health care insurer. And frankly, unless the questions make that distinction, I’m not sure the poll means much.
Geezer, the “horror” stories they have is people waiting for things like hip replacements. This is an issue, especially in rural areas (my in-laws live in rural Saskatchewan). Of course, rural areas in the U.S. have similar problems. Republicans talk about “waiting times” like we never have to wait for appointments in the U.S. (we just don’t track them).
My point is that Democrats need to do a better job of personalizing the issue.
Exactly, UI. Ask yourself this… If I had a life threatening illness would I rather live in Mississippi or Massachusetts?
Thought so!
Most of the polls cited here craft their questions in terms of the operations and costs of the system — there are few if any questions assessing how happy people are with their health care. And no questions couched in Frank Luntz’ current talking points.
And I would agree that Dems need to be better speakers to the issue, the first thing they need to do is to be really clear that there are alot of Americans who are definitely interested in fixing this system.
This should not even be a political issue in the sense that Congress must get down to business to do what is right for the American people and figure out a way to pay for it.
I’m talking about both parties here.
And yes, basic health care is a human right, like food, water and shelter, that must be made accessible for all, independent of economic circumstances.