[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
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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.