Health Policy

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Health Policy	See also: Budget \| Marijuana (medical use) \| Science (biotech)

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. June 18-21, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all adults).
						.
"Do you have some form of health insurance or health care coverage, or not?"
						.
		Yes	No
		%	%
	6/18-21/09	84	16
						.
"For each specific item I name, please tell me whether you are very satisfied with it, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. . . ."
						.
		Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

						.
	"The overall health care system in this country"
	6/18-21/09	10	32	26	31	1
						.
	"The quality of the health care you receive"
	6/18-21/09	49	34	9	7	1
						.
	"Your health care costs, including both expenses not covered by insurance, and the cost of your insurance, if any"
	6/18-21/09	23	31	19	25	1
						.
	Asked of those with health insurance: "Your health insurance coverage"
	6/18-21/09	42	39	11	8	1
						.
"How concerned are you, if at all, about your and your family's health care costs in the future: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned?"
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Too Concerned	Not at All Concerned
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	59	25	11	4
						.
"How concerned are you, if at all, that current efforts to reform the health care system will [see below]: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned?"
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Too Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"Reduce the quality of health care you receive"
	6/18-21/09	58	23	10	9	1
						.
	Asked of those with health insurance: "Reduce your health insurance coverage"
	6/18-21/09	55	27	10	7	1
						.
	"Increase your health care costs"
	6/18-21/09	62	22	9	7	-
						.
	"Increase government bureaucracy in the health care system"
	6/18-21/09	51	27	12	7	3
						.
	"Limit your choices of doctors or treatments"
	6/18-21/09	56	23	12	8	1
						.
	"Sharply increase the federal deficit"
	6/18-21/09	56	28	8	5	2
						.
"Do you think it's possible to reform the health care system in a way that people who have coverage now can keep it without any changes if they want to, or do you think health care reform will require everyone to make changes, whether they want to or not?" Options rotated
						.
		Can Keep Current Coverage	Required To Make Changes	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	38	58	4
						.
"Would you support or oppose a law that requires all Americans to have health insurance, either getting it from work or buying it on their own?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	49	47	4
						.
"Would you support or oppose a law that requires all Americans to have health insurance if it included [see below]?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure		.
		%	%	%		.
						.
	"A rule that all employers either offer health insurance to their employees or pay money into a government health insurance fund" Half sample (Form A)
	6/18-21/09	62	34	4		.
						.
	"A rule that working Americans who don't get insurance through work or on their own would have to pay money into a government health insurance fund" Half sample (Form A)
	6/18-21/09	44	52	4		.
						.
	"A tax credit or other aid to help low-income Americans pay for health insurance" Half sample (Form B)
	6/18-21/09	70	28	2		.
						.
	"A rule that insurance companies sell coverage to people regardless of pre-existing conditions" Half sample (Form B)
	6/18-21/09	68	27	5		.
						.
"Would you support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans?" If support: "Would you rather have that plan run by a government agency, or run by an independent organization with government funding and oversight?"
						.
		Support: Government Agency	Support: Independent Organization	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	21	41	33	5
						.
	Asked of those who support a new government-created health insurance plan: "What if having the government create a new health insurance plan made many private health insurers go out of business because they could not compete? In that case would you support or oppose creating a government-run health insurance plan?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	56	41	3
						.
"Would you support or oppose a federal tax on health insurance benefits people receive through their employer if those benefits cost more than 17 thousand dollars a year?" Half sample
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	24	70	6
						.
"Would you support or oppose raising income taxes on Americans with household incomes over 250 thousand dollars to help pay for health care reform?" Half sample
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	60	37	3
						.
"Would you support or oppose a law limiting the amount of money someone can collect if they win a lawsuit after being injured by bad medical care?" Half sample
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	57	42	2
						.
"Would you support or oppose a law limiting the amount of money you could collect if you won a lawsuit after being injured by bad medical care?" Half sample
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	53	42	4
						.
"Just your best guess: If the health care system is changed, do you think the quality of your health care will get better, get worse, or remain about the same?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	16	31	50	3
						.
"Which comes closer to the way you feel? Government reform of the nation's health care system is necessary to control costs and expand coverage. OR, Government action on health care will do more harm than good."
						.
		Necessary	More Harm Than Good	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/18-21/09	58	39	3

Gallup Poll. June 14-17, 2009. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Thinking now about public policy toward smoking: Should smoking in this country be made totally illegal, or not?"
					.
		Should	Should not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/14-17/09	17	83	1
	7/12-15/07	12	87	1
	7/7-10/05	16	83	1
	7/7-9/03	16	84	-
	7/19-22/01	14	84	2
	3/11-13/94	11	86	3
	7/6-8/90	14	84	2
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of a new law that gives the federal government power to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of cigarettes and other tobacco products?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/14-17/09	46	52	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 12-16, 2009. N=895 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling health care?"
						.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	44	34	22
						.
"How much have you heard or read about current proposals in Washington to reform health care: a lot, some, not much, or nothing at all?"
						.
		A Lot	Some	Not Much	Nothing at All
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	22	50	23	5
						.
"Which of the following three statements comes closest to expressing your overall view of the health care system in the United States? (1) On the whole, the health care system works pretty well and only minor changes are necessary to make it work better. OR, (2) There are some good things in our health care system, but fundamental changes are needed. OR, (3) Our health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it."
						.
		Minor Changes	Fundamental Changes	Completely Rebuild	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	13	51	34	2
	4/22-26/09	12	49	38	1
	9/12-16/08	14	50	35	1
	1/20-25/06	8	56	34	2
						.
"Do you think the government would do a better or worse job than private insurance companies in providing medical coverage?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	50	34	2	14
						.
"Do you think the government would do a better or worse job than private insurance companies in holding down health care costs?"
						.
		Better	Worse	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	59	26	3	12
						.
"Regardless of how you usually vote, do you think the Republican Party or the Democratic Party is more likely to improve the health care system?"
						.
		Republican Party	Democratic Party	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	18	57	2	8	15
	3/12-16/09	18	65	1	8	8
						.
"How serious a problem is it for the United States that many Americans do not have health insurance: very serious, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not at all serious?"
						.
		Very Serious	Somewhat Serious	Not Too Serious	Not at All Serious	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	73	21	3	2	1
						.
"If you had to say, which do you think is a more serious problem right now: keeping health care costs down for average Americans, OR providing health insurance for Americans who do not have any insurance?"
						.
		Keeping Costs Down	Providing Insurance	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	26	65	9
	4/1-5/09	40	54	6
	2/23-27/07	31	65	4
						.
"Would you be willing or not willing to pay higher taxes so that all Americans have health insurance they can't lose, no matter what?"
						.
		Willing	Not Willing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	57	37	6
	4/1-5/09	57	38	5
	2/23-27/07	60	34	6
						.
"Do you think the federal government should guarantee health insurance for all Americans, or isn't this the responsibility of the federal government?"
						.
		Should Guarantee	Not Responsibility	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	64	30	6
	3/12-16/09	62	30	8
						.
"If the government were to guarantee health insurance for all Americans, what effect would that have on the national economy? Would it improve the national economy, hurt the national economy, or wouldn't it affect the national economy?"
						.
		Improve	Hurt	Wouldn't Affect	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	28	37	20	3	12
	4/1-5/09	34	37	16	2	11
						.
"Would you favor or oppose 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?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	72	20	8
						.
"How concerned are you about the health care costs you and your family might face in the coming years: very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned?"
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-16/09	49	37	13	1
	4/1-5/09	57	32	11	0

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). June 12-15, 2009. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1 (for all adults).
						.
"Turning to the issue of health care: From what you have heard about Barack Obama's health care plan, do you think his plan is a good idea or a bad idea? If you do not have an opinion either way, please just say so."
						.
		Good Idea	Bad Idea	Do Not Have an Opinion	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	33	32	30	5
	4/23-26/09	33	26	34	7
						.
"Which one of the following do you think the President and Congress should be most focused on addressing: the cost of health care, or people who are not covered by insurance?" Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4
						.
		Cost	Coverage	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	41	43	11	5
	4/23-26/09	39	42	16	3
						.
"Which one of the following do you think the President's health care plan is most focused on addressing: the cost of health care, or people who are not covered by insurance?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4
						.
		Cost	Coverage	Both Equally (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	18	64	8	10
	4/23-26/09	12	69	12	7
						.
"Now I am going to tell you more about the health care plan that President Obama supports and please tell me whether you would favor or oppose it. The plan requires that health insurance companies cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. It also requires all but the smallest employers to provide health coverage for their employees, or pay a percentage of their payroll to help fund coverage for the uninsured. Families and individuals with lower- and middle-incomes would receive tax credits to help them afford insurance coverage. Some of the funding for this plan would come from raising taxes on wealthier Americans. Do you favor or oppose this plan?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	55	35	3	7
						.
"Experts currently estimate that this proposed health care plan will cost one trillion dollars over the next decade. I am going to read you some proposals for how the plan could be funded. After I read each statement, please tell me whether that proposal is acceptable or not acceptable. . . ."
						.
		Acceptable	Not Acceptable	Unsure
		%	%	%
						.
	"Require everyone to have health insurance coverage. Those people who can afford it would buy their own health insurance, while people with low and moderate incomes would receive government assistance."
	6/12-15/09	62	31	7
						.
	"Raise taxes for people with incomes over two hundred fifty thousand dollars a year."
	6/12-15/09	62	33	5
						.
	"Require all but the smallest businesses to either offer health care coverage or pay a percentage of their payroll to the government."
	6/12-15/09	55	37	8
						.
	"Reduce payments to doctors and hospitals for the services they provide to patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid, which are the government health programs for the elderly and low income."
	6/12-15/09	47	46	7
						.
	"Require people with expensive health plans with more generous benefits than a standard plan to pay taxes on a portion of that plan's costs."
	6/12-15/09	33	59	8
						.
	"Require all people to pay taxes on the cost of their private health insurance plans."
	6/12-15/09	23	70	7
						.
"In any health care proposal, how important do you feel it is to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance: extremely important, quite important, not that important, or not at all important?"
						.
		Extremely Important	Quite Important	Not That Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	41	35	12	8	4
						.
"Please tell me which ONE statement you agree with more on the issue of creating a new public health plan administered by the federal government. "Some/Other people say it would help lower health care costs because it would compete with private health plans. This new public plan would provide coverage for the uninsured and all Americans would have an option for quality affordable health care. "Some/Other people say that patients might not always have access to their choice of doctors and the government would lower costs by limiting medical treatment options and decisions that should be made instead by patients and doctors." Options rotated
						.
		Lower costs, Care for all	Limit access, Limit options	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/12-15/09	47	42	11

Pew Research Center poll. June 10-14, 2009. N=1,502 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Thinking about health care: Do you think the health care system in this country works pretty well and requires only minor changes, do you think it needs fundamental changes, or do you think it needs to be completely rebuilt?"
						.
		Minor Changes	Fundamental Changes	Completely Rebuilt	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	24	30	41	4
	3/09	21	36	40	3
	6/94	28	32	37	3
	1/94	21	33	42	4
	4/93	15	26	55	4
						.
"As I read from a list, tell me whether or not the item I read is a major problem for you and your family. [See below.] Is this a major problem for you or not a major problem?"
						.
		Major Problem	Not a Major Problem	Unsure
		%	%	%
						.
	"Paying for the cost of routine medical care"
	6/10-14/09	34	65	1
	3/8-12/06	38	61	1
						.
	"Paying for the cost of a major illness"
	6/10-14/09	48	50	2
	3/8-12/06	54	44	2
						.
	"Paying for the costs of prescription drugs"
	6/10-14/09	34	66	-
	3/8-12/06	44	55	1
						.
	"Paying for the cost of health insurance"
	6/10-14/09	43	56	1
						.
	"Your employer making you pay a larger share of your health insurance costs"
	6/10-14/09	35	61	5
						.
	"The availability of medical care in your community"
	6/10-14/09	21	78	1
	3/8-12/06	25	74	1
						.
	"The quality of medical care in your community"
	6/10-14/09	24	73	2
						.
"Thinking about the country as a whole, do you think we spend too much, too little or the right amount on health care?"
						.
		Too Much	Too Little	Right Amount	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	38	40	14	7
	3/8-12/06	26	57	9	8
						.
"Do you favor or oppose changing the health care system in this country so that all Americans have health insurance that covers all medically necessary care?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	75	21	4
	6/94	76	19	5
	4/93	83	13	4
						.
"How important is it to you that we change the health care system in this country in order to limit the overall annual increase in the nation's health care costs. Is it very important, fairly important, or not too important?"
						.
		Very Important	Fairly Important	Not Too Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	61	27	10	2
	4/93	69	24	5	2
						.
"What do you think is a more important goal for the nation: to find a way to limit the overall annual increase in health care costs, OR, to change the system so that all Americans are guaranteed access to all medically necessary care?" Options rotated
						.
		Limit Costs	Guarantee Access	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/10-14/09	36	56	8
	4/93	20	74	6

Kaiser Family Foundation Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. June 1-8, 2009. N=1,205 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Which comes closer to describing your own views? Given the serious economic problems facing the country we cannot afford to take on health care reform right now, OR it is more important than ever to take on health care reform now?" Options rotated
						.
		Cannot Afford Right Now	More Important	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	35	61	4
	4/2-8/09	37	59	4
	2/3-12/09	34	62	4
	12/4-14/08	37	61	2
						.
"Do you think you and your family would be better off or worse off if the President and Congress passed health care reform, or don't you think it would make much difference?"
						.
		Better Off	Worse Off	Not Much Difference	It Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	39	16	36	3	5
	4/2-8/09	43	14	36	4	4
	2/3-12/09	38	11	43	4	3
						.
"Do you think the country as a whole would be better off or worse off if the President and Congress passed health care reform, or don't you think it would make much difference?"
						.
		Better Off	Worse Off	Not Much Difference	It Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	57	16	19	3	5
	4/2-8/09	56	15	21	3	5
	2/3-12/09	59	12	19	5	5
						.
"Which comes closer to your opinion? If policymakers made the right changes, they could reform the health care system without spending more money to do it. To make any real reforms to the health care system, policymakers will need to spend more money, either by raising some taxes, taking from other programs or increasing the deficit." Options rotated
						.
		No Need to Spend More	Will Need to Spend More	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	60	34	6
	2/3-12/09	58	36	6
						.
"Which comes closer to your opinion? If policymakers made the right changes, they could reform the health care system without changing the existing health care arrangements of people like yourself. Making any real reforms to the health care system will probably require people like yourself to change your existing health care arrangements." Options rotated
						.
		No Need to Change Arrangements	Probably Need to Change Arrangements	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	49	41	10
	2/3-12/09	56	37	8
						.
"Would you be willing to pay more -- either in higher health insurance premiums or higher taxes -- in order to increase the number of Americans who have health insurance, or not?"
						.
		Willing	Not Willing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/1-8/09	41	54	5
	12/4-14/08	47	49	4

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by FD. June 4-7, 2009. N=800 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5 (for all registered voters).
						.
"Do you support or oppose Congress and the President enacting a major overhaul of the U.S. health care system?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	62	28	9
						.
	Asked of those who support a major overhaul (N=499, MoE ą 4.4): "And, how important would you say it is for Congress and the President to pass health care legislation this year: very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?"
						.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	68	26	5	1	1
						.
"And, which do you think should be the bigger focus of any health care reform legislation: controlling the cost of health care or expanding coverage for Americans without health insurance?"
						.
		Controlling the Cost	Expanding Coverage	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	49	35	8	4	4
						.
"If Congress passes health care legislation which focuses on controlling costs, would you be more likely to vote for a candidate in the 2010 midterm election who supported or opposed the legislation?" N=402 (Form A), MoE ą 4.9
						.
		Supported Legislation	Opposed Legislation	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	65	21	14
						.
"If Congress passes health care legislation which focuses on expanding health coverage for Americans without health insurance, would you be more likely to vote for a candidate in the 2010 midterm election who supported or opposed the legislation?" N=398 (Form B), MoE ą 4.9
						.
		Supported Legislation	Opposed Legislation	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	63	24	13
						.
"As you may know, people who currently have health insurance plans through their employers or through their spouse's employer do not currently pay taxes on the benefits they receive through those health insurance plans. One proposal being considered by Congress is to tax these benefits in order to help pay for the cost of expanding health coverage to Americans who currently don't have health insurance. Do you support or oppose this proposal?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/4-7/09	26	68	6

Gallup Poll. May 19, 2009. N=997 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
				.
"Now thinking about the swine flu virus that has been in the news: Did you, personally, worry yesterday about getting swine flu, or not?"
				.
		Did Worry	Did Not Worry
		%	%
	5/19/09	13	87
	5/5/09	17	83
	5/3/09	19	81
	4/30/09	25	75
	4/28/09	22	78

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 14-17, 2009. Adults nationwide.
						.
"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views about the H1N1 flu, sometimes referred to as swine flu? You are worried that you or someone in your immediate family will get that flu. In the past few months, you had been worried that you or someone in your immediate family would get that flu, but you are not worried any longer. You were never worried that you or someone in your family would get that flu." N=515 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Are Worried	Had Been Worried	Were Never Worried
		%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	17	20	63
						.
"What do you think of the federal government's response to the H1N1 flu, sometimes referred to as swine flu? Do you think the government response was appropriate, or that the government overreacted?" N=495 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Appropriate	Overreacted	Did Not Do Enough (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	54	39	4	3
						.
"In general, would you favor or oppose a program that would increase the federal government's influence over the country's health care system in an attempt to lower costs and provide health care coverage to more Americans?" N=515 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	69	29	1
	2/18-19/09	72	27	1
						.
"In general, would you favor or oppose a program that would increase the federal government's influence over the health care you and your family receive in an attempt to lower costs and provide health care coverage to more Americans?" N=515 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	63	36	2
						.
"Do you think the federal government should guarantee health care for all Americans, or don't you think so?" N=495 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Should Guarantee	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	62	38	1
						.
"Would you prefer a health care reform plan that raises taxes in order to provide health insurance to all Americans, or a plan that does not provide health insurance to all Americans but keeps taxes at current levels?" N=495 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
						.
		Raises Taxes, Insures All	Doesn't Raise Taxes, Doesn't Insure All	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	47	47	4	2

Ipsos/McClatchy Poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. April 30-May 3, 2009. N=486 adults nationwide.
						.
"Thinking now about national priorities, how important is the goal of Congress and the president guaranteeing universal health insurance for every American by the end of 2009: the most important priority, one of the top two or three priorities, an important goal but not a top priority, or not important at all?"
						.
		Most Important	One of Top 2-3 Priorities	Important, Not a Top Priority	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/30 - 5/3/09	20	38	23	17	2
						.
"On the topic of federal health care reform, some say that controlling costs should be the main emphasis. Others say that expanding coverage so that all Americans will have insurance should be the main emphasis. Which of these comes closest to your own personal opinion?" Options rotated
						.
		Controlling Costs	Expanding Coverage	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/30 - 5/3/09	51	42	8

Gallup Poll. April 28, 2009. N=1,021 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Obama administration is handling the swine flu situation?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	4/28/09	66	16	17

Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor National Survey conducted by FD. April 8-14, 2009. N=1,200 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.8 (for all adults).
						.
"And, how confident are you that you could maintain your current standard of living if you or someone in your family suffered a major illness or accident: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident?"
						.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	20	41	20	18	3
						.
"Do you think you and your family would be better off or worse off if the president and Congress passed health care reform, or don't you think it would make much difference?" Options rotated. N=602, MoE ą 4.
						.
		Better Off	Worse Off	Not Much Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	42	19	30	10
						.
"Do you think the country would be better off or worse off if the president and Congress passed health care reform, or don't you think it would make much difference?" Options rotated. N=598, MoE ą 4.
						.
		Better Off	Worse Off	Not Much Difference	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/8-14/09	45	20	23	12

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 1-5, 2009. N=998 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Compared to other household expenses in recent years, has the cost of your health care gone up, gone down, or been about the same compared to other household expenses?"
						.
		Gone Up	Gone Down	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	4/1-5/09	59	2	33	6

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. March 12-15, 2009. N=1,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"Please tell me whether you are very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not confident at all about each of the following. . . ."
						.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"Your ability to pay your bills if someone in your family had a major medical emergency"
	3/12-15/09	29	35	19	17	-
						.
	"The chances that no one in your household will lose health insurance coverage in the next six months"
	3/12-15/09	52	26	12	9	2
						.
"We'd like to know how you feel about different aspects of health care for you and your family. Are you generally satisfied, or dissatisfied with each of the following? . . ."
						.
		Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%
						.
	"The quality of health care you receive"
	3/12-15/09	82	17	1
	11/2-4/07	79	20	1
						.
	"Your health insurance coverage"
	3/12-15/09	73	26	1
	11/2-4/07	69	30	2
						.
	"The total cost to you of health care, including insurance premiums and other expenses"
	3/12-15/09	52	48	1
						.
	"The total cost of health care in this country"
	3/12-15/09	23	77	1

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Feb. 26-March 1, 2009. N=1,007 adults nationwide.
						.
"Now I'd like to ask you a few questions about health care: Thinking about health care, please tell me the ONE item from the following list that you would most like to see Congress try to accomplish this year. [See below.]" If "all": "Well, if you had to choose just one, which ONE would you most like Congress to accomplish this year?" Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4
						.
					%
	"Guarantee that every American child has health coverage"				32
						.
	"Allow the self-employed and small businesses to join together to purchase private health insurance at lower group rates"				20
						.
	"Provide tax credits to small businesses to make it more affordable for them to offer health coverage"				12
						.
	"Provide subsidies to help lower-income Americans buy insurance"				11
						.
	"Reform medical liability insurance laws to cut the number of lawsuits"				10
						.
	"Increase regulations on health insurance companies"				10
						.
	Unsure				5
						.
"Which one of the following do you see as the most important health care issue at the present time: the cost of health care, people who are not covered by insurance, or the quality of health care?" Half sample (Form B), MoE ą 4.4
						.
		Cost	Coverage	Quality	All Equally (vol.)	None of These (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/1/09	44	37	11	7	1
	3/93	48	35	8	8	-
						.
"Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: I would be willing to pay higher taxes so that everyone can have health insurance." Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4
						.
		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/1/09	49	45	6
	3/93	66	30	4
						.
"Which ONE of the following do you think should have the most responsibility for helping ensure that Americans receive health insurance coverage: the federal government, employers and businesses, or individuals themselves?" Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4
						.
		Federal Government	Employers, Businesses	Individuals Themselves	All (vol.)	None/Other (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/26 - 3/1/09	36	24	31	6	3
	10/99	43	28	17	9	1

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Feb. 19-22, 2009. N=1,001 adults nationwide.
						.
"How confident are you the Medicare system will be able to provide you with adequate health coverage throughout your retirement: very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?" Asked of half the sample
						.
		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not So Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/19-22/09	8	28	29	34	1

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Jan. 11-15, 2009. N=1,112 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Should the government in Washington provide national health insurance, or is this something that should be left only to private enterprise?"
					.
		Government	Private Enterprise	Unsure
		%	%	%
	1/11-15/09	59	32	9
	1/79	40	48	12

Quinnipiac University Poll. Nov. 6-10, 2008. N=2,210 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.1 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Do you think it's the government's responsibility to make sure that everyone in the United States has adequate health care, or don't you think so?"
					.
		Think It Is	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/6-10/08	60	36	4
	Republicans	34	63	3
	Democrats	84	12	4
	Independents	56	39	5
					.
	5/8-12/08	61	35	4
	10/23-29/07	57	38	5
	2/13-19/07	64	31	4

NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health survey. Feb. 14-24, 2008. N=1,704 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults). Fieldwork by ICR.
					.
"An issue that has received attention in the news lately is the number of Americans who do not have health insurance. How serious do you think this problem is: very serious, somewhat serious, not too serious or not at all serious?"
					.
		Very Serious	Somewhat Serious	Not Too Serious	Not at All Serious	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	2/14-24/08	74	19	4	2	1
					.
"Next, I'm going to read you a description of a plan to make sure everyone has health insurance, and then I'm going to ask you if you support or oppose this plan. This proposal would require all Americans to have insurance. Most people would still get insurance through their work. People who don't get insurance from work would have to buy it themselves, or pay a fine if they don't. People with lower incomes would get help from the government paying the cost of health insurance. Would you support or oppose this kind of plan?" N=853 (Form A)
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/14-24/08	47	44	8
					.
"Next, I'm going to read you a description of a plan to make sure everyone has health insurance, and then I'm going to ask you if you support or oppose this plan. This proposal would place requirements on individuals, employers, the government, and insurance companies so that everyone shares in the responsibility. Individuals who don't already have insurance would be required to buy it or pay a fine, with financial help from the government for people with lower incomes. Employers would be required to cover their workers, or pay money into a pool that helps people buy insurance. Government health insurance programs would be expanded. Insurance plans would be required to take anyone who applies, even if they have a prior illness. Would you support or oppose this kind of plan?" N=851 (Form B)
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/14-24/08	59	33	8
					.
"A different proposal for increasing the number of people covered by health insurance would NOT require all adults to have insurance, but would require that parents get insurance for their children. Most children would still be covered by plans through their parents' employers. Parents who aren't covered through work would have to buy insurance for their children, or pay a fine if they don't. Parents with lower incomes would get help from the government paying the cost of health insurance or their children would be enrolled in public programs. Would you support or oppose this kind of plan?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/14-24/08	65	31	4

Gallup Poll. Nov. 11-14, 2007. N=1,014 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"What would you say is the most urgent health problem facing this country at the present time?" Open-ended
						.
		%				.
	Access	30				.
	Cost	26				.
	Cancer	14				.
	Obesity	10				.
	AIDS	2				.
	Diabetes	2				.
	Other	8				.
	Unsure	9				.
						.
"Thinking again about health care in the country as a whole: Are you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the total cost of health care in this country?"
						.
		Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/11-14/07	17	81	2
	11/9-12/06	19	79	2
	11/7-10/05	20	79	1
	11/04	21	78	1
	11/03	20	79	1
	11/02	22	75	3
	11/01	28	71	1
						.
"Which of these statements do you think best describes the U.S. health care system today? It is in a state of crisis. It has major problems. It has minor problems. OR, It does not have any problems." Options rotated
						.
		State of Crisis	Major Problems	Minor Problems	No Problems	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/11-14/07	17	56	24	2	1
	11/9-12/06	16	55	25	3	1
	11/7-10/05	18	52	28	1	1
	11/7-10/04	14	53	31	2	-
	11/3-5/03	14	54	30	1	1
	11/11-14/02	11	54	32	2	1
	11/8-11/01	5	44	47	2	2
	9/11-13/00	12	58	28	1	1
						.
"Do you think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, or is that not the responsibility of the federal government?" N=501, MoE ą 5 (Form A)
						.
		Is	Is Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/11-14/07	64	33	3
	11/9-12/06	69	28	3
	11/7-10/05	58	38	4
	11/7-10/04	64	34	2
	11/3-5/03	59	39	2
	11/11-14/02	62	35	3
	11/8-11/01	62	34	4
	9/11-13/00	64	31	5
	1/13-16/00	59	38	3
						.
"Which of the following approaches for providing health care in the United States would you prefer: replacing the current health care system with a new government run health care system, or maintaining the current system based mostly on private health insurance?" Options rotated. N=513, MoE ą 5 (Form B).
						.
		Replace	Maintain	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/11-14/07	41	48	11
	11/9-12/06	39	51	10
	11/7-10/05	41	49	10
	11/7-10/04	32	63	5
	11/3-5/03	38	57	5
	11/8-11/01	33	61	6
						.
"Overall, how would you rate [see below] -- as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?"
						.
		Excellent	Good	Only Fair	Poor	Not Applicable (vol.)/Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"The quality of health care you receive"
	11/11-14/07	33	50	12	3	3
	11/9-12/06	36	43	15	4	1
	11/7-10/05	29	49	17	3	2
	11/04	38	42	15	4	1
	11/03	33	49	13	3	2
	11/02	28	54	14	3	1
	11/01	31	49	15	3	2
						.
	"Your health care coverage"
	11/11-14/07	25	45	15	8	5
	11/9-12/06	26	39	23	8	4
	11/7-10/05	20	43	21	11	5
	11/04	28	41	20	7	4
	11/03	22	44	23	6	5
	11/02	20	51	17	7	5
	11/01	22	46	20	6	6
						.
"Are you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the total cost you pay for your health care?"
						.
		Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/11-14/07	57	39	4
	11/9-12/06	54	42	4
	11/7-10/05	57	41	2
	11/04	58	41	1
	11/03	57	41	2
	11/02	58	39	3
	11/01	64	33	3

Quinnipiac University Poll. Oct. 23-29, 2007. N=1,636 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 2.4 (for all registered voters).
					.
"If you had to say, which do you think is a more serious problem right now: keeping health care costs down for average Americans, or providing health insurance for Americans who do not have any insurance?"
					.
		Keeping Costs Down	Covering Uninsured	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL reg. voters	41	53	7
	Republicans	60	33	7
	Democrats	22	71	7
	Independents	42	53	5
					.
"In general how would you rate the quality of health care in the United States today: excellent, good, not so good, or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Not So Good	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	16	40	24	18	2
	2/13-19/07	11	33	30	25	2
					.
"In general how would you rate the quality of health care in your community: excellent, good, not so good, or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Not So Good	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	22	48	18	11	1
	2/13-19/07	20	44	20	14	2
					.
"In general, how would you rate the quality of health care you and your family receive: excellent, good, not so good, or poor?"
					.
		Excellent	Good	Not So Good	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	37	48	9	6	1
					.
"Do you think it's the government's responsibility to provide health insurance for those who can't afford it, or don't you think so?"
					.
		Think It Is	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	60	33	7
					.
"As you may know, a new law in Massachusetts would require all residents to have health insurance. Low-income residents would get state subsidies to help pay insurance premiums, but everyone would pay something for health services. The plan would penalize people without any insurance and charge fees to employers who don't provide coverage. Would you support or oppose this plan in your state?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	49	40	12
					.
"Do you support or oppose the federal government doing more to help pay for catastrophic health care costs?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/23-29/07	70	23	7

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 12-14, 2007. N=1,212 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"As you may know, President Bush vetoed a bill passed by Congress that would create a program to spend 35 billion dollars to provide health insurance to some children in middle-income families. Do you think Congress should vote to create that program by overriding Bush's veto, or do you think Congress should vote to block that program by sustaining Bush's veto?"
					.
		Override Veto	Sustain Veto	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/12-14/07	61	35	4

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Oct. 12-14, 2007. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"As you may know, Congress is considering a bill that would increase the number of children eligible for government subsidized health insurance, but the Democrats in Congress and President Bush disagree on how much to increase the program. How closely have you been following the news about this: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"
						.
		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All Closely
		%	%	%	%
	10/12-14/07	17	34	30	19
						.
"Based on what you have heard or read about this bill, who do you have more confidence in to handle this issue: George W. Bush or the Democrats in Congress?" Options rotated. N=507 adults, MoE ą 5 (Form A).
						.
		Bush	Democrats	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/12-14/07	32	52	10	5
						.
"As you may know, the Democrats want to allow a family of four earning about $62,000 to qualify for the program. President Bush wants most of the increases to go to families earning less than $41,000. Whose side do you favor?" Options rotated. N=502 adults, MoE ą 5 (Form B).
						.
		Bush	Democrats	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/12-14/07	52	40	3	4
						.
"How concerned are you that expanding this program would create an incentive for middle class Americans to drop private health insurance for a public program, which some consider to be a step toward socialized medicine? Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not concerned at all?" N=502 adults, MoE ą 5 (Form B)
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Too Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	10/12-14/07	22	33	25	17	2

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. Sept. 27-30, 2007. N=1,114 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling health care?" Half sample
						.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-30/07	30	63	8
						.
"Which political party -- the Democrats or the Republicans -- do you trust to do a better job handling health care?" Parties rotated
						.
		Democrats	Republicans	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/27-30/07	56	26	2	12	5
						.
"There's a proposal to increase federal spending on children's health insurance by 35 billion dollars over the next five years. It would be funded by an increase in cigarette taxes. Supporters say this would provide insurance for millions of low-income children who are currently uninsured. Opponents say this goes too far in covering children in families that can afford health insurance on their own. Do you support or oppose this increased funding for this program?" Options rotated
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/27-30/07	72	25	3

CBS News Poll. Sept. 14-16, 2007. N=706 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4 (for all adults).
						.
"Thinking about the country as a whole, are you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality of health care in this country?" If satisfied or dissatisfied: "Would you say you are very satisfied / dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied / dissatisfied?"
						.
		Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/14-16/07	11	21	24	42	2
	2/23-27/07	11	27	29	28	5
						.
"Thinking about the country as a whole, are you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the COST of health care in this country?" If satisfied or dissatisfied: "Would you say you are very satisfied / dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied / dissatisfied?"
						.
		Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/14-16/07	4	12	23	58	3
	2/23-27/07	3	11	22	59	5
						.
"How serious a problem is it for the United States that many Americans do not have health insurance: very serious, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not at all serious?"
						.
		Very Serious	Somewhat Serious	Not Too Serious	Not at All Serious	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL adults	76	16	5	3	0
	Republicans	55	28	11	6	0
	Democrats	94	6	0	0	0
	Independents	73	18	4	3	2
						.
	2/23-27/07	70	25	3	1	1
						.
"Which do you think would be better for the country: having one health insurance progra