Half of Americans want health care as is?

[Phred42]

Get this - the latest BS being served up by Gallup and CNN


Half of Americans want health care as is?
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/04/half-of-americans-want-health-care-as-is/

December 4, 2008
Half of Americans want health care as is?
Posted: 04:58 PM ET
An estimated 47 million Americans have no health insurance..
An estimated 47 million Americans have no health insurance..

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

President-elect Obama campaigned on promises to fix the ailing health care system.

An estimated 47 million Americans have no health insurance. And you don’t have to look far to find those who do have coverage complaining about it.

But a new Gallup poll finds that Americans are sending mixed signals when it comes to health care.

Forty nine percent of those surveyed said leave the system as it is. Only 41 percent said they want a new government-run system.

There’s more confusion. The poll found 59 percent say the current system has major problems. Access and cost are cited as the biggest concerns.

But at the same time, 57 percent say their health care is excellent or good.

On the heels of a campaign promising change, health care included, most people, according to this poll, are really okay with what they have.

Here’s my question to you: What does it mean when almost half of Americans want to leave the health care system as it is?

Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.

And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.

Filed under: US Healthcare

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. It means that half of Americans have insurance and haven't had to use it yet. nt

[Phred42]

2. POINT!

:toast:

[Johonny]

6. That's how I read it

It's really not until you have a problem that the suck really comes out.

[SoCalDem]

15. or they are government/union employees and have GREAT coverage

I have said all along, that we won;t get universal care until it;s ILLEGAL for employers to "give" / "offer" insurance coverage.. Only then will we get true parity..

people with good coverage (as we have) don;t complain much, and the people who don't have good or any, have no clout..

This is why Insurance companies have to be NO PART of universal health care..

[mrreowwr_kittty]

19. True that. nt

[Captain Hilts]

21. And men, who are not usually active in healthcare for kids or parents, and are also more...

likely to have the VA as a back up, are fairly satisfied with the medical system as it exists today.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

25. Good point. Plus everyone who's ever yammered to me about "soshulized medicun" has been a dude. nt

[Captain Hilts]

22. They don't realize they're UNDERinsured yet. nt

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. Also, the number of 'satisfied' probably includes people with gov't health plans.

Medicare recipients, active duty military and retirees, federal/state/municipal employees usually have better coverage than those on private plans.

[Phred42]

4. I don't understand why anyone would beleive Gallup - period

:shrug:

[daninthemoon]

5. leave the systems it is? what system? snooze you lose? pay or die?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. Maybe a lot of people really believe all that 'socialized medicine' scaremongering. nt

[Wapsie B]

13. That's certainly part of it.

That and Gallup doing the survey. Let Consumer Reports do it.

[bunnies]

8. Classic "I've got mine" mentality.

I'm fine... to hell with everyone else. :eyes:

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. What does it mean?

First, that some folks are too ignorant to realize that the coverage they have may not pay out what they expect.

Second, that some folks simply do not care whether or not other folks have meaningful access to health care. The I've got mine, fuck you you're on your own mentality.

[annabanana]

10. The half that HAS insurance is terrified they'll LOSE it...

Change is scary..

[eridani]

11. Their opinions are uninformed bullshit, just like their opinions on--

--how good their local fire department is. If they are all really lucky (and the odds say that 80% will be), they'll never have to find out.

[eridani]

12. In any given year, half of all Americans have no health care expenses at all

If I were one of them, I'd be deliriously happy about that.

[bemildred]

14. Sounds like a poll that can safely be ignored.

It's hard to reconcile "leave it as it is" with "it has major problems". So maybe it just doesn't mean shit.

[Captain Hilts]

23. Satisfaction rates with health insurance are surprisingly high. nt

[Donnachaidh]

16. how many of the people polled WORKED in the medical profession?

You want great numbers on push polls -- ask the group that has an agenda and will answer the questions exactly as you want them to. :sarcasm:

[sandnsea]

17. 59% major problems, 14% state of crisis

Here's the actual poll, which shows why we got the answers we did.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/112813/Americans-Rate-National-Personal-Healthcare-Differently.aspx

[hunter]

18. They think it's a pretty bus, and they'll get to ride inside.

They don't know yet that their seat is a cheap plastic snow sled tied to the back bumper.

[onethatcares]

20. gallup never did listen to me while I was a contributor to their poll

they kept telling me the shrub was doing a great job and not to worry about the economy because of all the jobs he was creating. Don't believe a word from them.

[tjwash]

24. Sounds like my fucking brother in law.

He works for the county government and rails against the feds.

Thinks pensions should not get paid to GM employees, but is getting ready to retire himself at 55 with a nice package.

Thinks socialized medicine is going to cause the downfall of civilization as we know it, but conveniently forgets that part of his upcoming retirement package with the full medical bennies are going to be paid for by our tax dollars.

Thinks the GM employees should just drop the UAW, and just suck it up and quit whining, when he owes all of what he is getting above to unions, and has been part of one for the past 20 years.

The funny part is, he's a fucking plumber, and doesn't get why I started calling him Joe a month ago...