Public Opinion Snapshot: Why the Public Supports a Public Plan

[ProSense]

Public Opinion Snapshot: Why the Public Supports a Public Plan

By Ruy Teixeira | June 29, 2009

Debate is really heating up on health care reform and at the center of that debate is Obama’s proposal to create a public plan option to compete with private insurance companies.

Right now support is running high for the public option. A recent CBS/New York Times poll showed 72 percent favoring “the government offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan—something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get—that would compete with private health insurance plans,” compared to just 20 percent who were opposed.



Why is support for a public plan running so high? The chief reason is the public’s overriding concern with health care costs. Polls consistently show that people are most dissatisfied about health care costs, both for themselves and for the country as a whole.

This pattern is nicely illustrated by data from a March CNN poll showing 17 percent dissatisfied with the quality of the health care they receive, 26 percent dissatisfied with their health care coverage, 48 percent dissatisfied with their total health care costs, and 77 percent dissatisfied with the country’s total health care costs.



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Thus the public is centrally concerned with high health care costs and sees a public plan as central to dealing effectively with that problem. Including a public plan option as part of health care reform is therefore both good policy and good politics.

[Lugnut]

1. K&R n/t

[uponit7771]

2. Some monthly budget numbers would really drive this issue home with people. Spending LESS

...per household is what the goal is along with better care.

[avaistheone1]

3. Single payer makes the most sense.

[harun]

4. I would like to see a poll between Single Payer and Public Option.

[avaistheone1]

5. I would too. I would like people to see this slide first.

And then vote.

[Cha]

6. Thanks for the info,

PS.