How Much Reform Do People Want?
The proportion of Americans who believe the entire system needs to be "completely rebuilt" is almost one-third lower (40% today versus 55%) than in 1993 when Hillary Clinton attempted her reform, according to a new Pew Center survey, "Most Support Health Care Overhaul." The change in attitude is even more pronounced among women, with 59% believing the health care system needed to be completely rebuilt in 1993, compared to 38% in March 2009.
The percentage of Americans who believe "only minor changes" are needed is almost one-third higher than 16 years ago.
I suppose this is good news. So why don’t I feel optimistic?
Glad to see that “don’t know” has decreased a point. There is 1 percentage point less ignorance than there was 15 years ago.
Well, there’s “don’t know” and “don’t know they don’t know.”
However much reform people want, other polls show they are unwilling to pay anything to get it.
A recent article in Health Affairs confirms that people want someone else (i.e. employers, government, and insurers) to pay for reform.
“…we find that on its own, an individual mandate does not have broad support across partisan and sociodemographic groups. Policymakers who choose to pursue an individual mandate… may expand the base of supporters by incorporating it into a ‘shared-responsibility’ plan that includes requirements for employers, government, and insurers.”
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.28.3.w501