What's the Rush? Almost 5 Million Lose Insurance in 9 Months

[GaryC 7]

53% Now Oppose Congressional Health Care Reform

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The health care reform legislation working its way through Congress has lost support over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of U.S. voters are at least somewhat in favor of the reform effort while 53% are at least somewhat opposed.

Today’s 44% level of support is down from 46% two weeks ago, and 50% in late June.

Opposition has grown from 45% in late June to 49% two weeks ago and 53% today.

As in earlier surveys, those with strong opinions are more likely to oppose the plan rather than support it. The current numbers: 24% strongly favor and 37% strongly oppose.

There is a huge partisan divide on the health care plan. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Democrats favor it. However, the plan is opposed by 80% of Republicans and 60% of those not affiliated with either major party.

Most voters who earn less than $40,000 annually favor the legislation. Most who earn more than that amount are opposed.

The survey question did not in any way describe the plan as it stands to date. It was simply presented as “the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats.” But public opinion could shift in either direction as details of the plan become clearer and if agreement is reached.

The president has recently become more vocal in promoting the plan as opposition from senators and congressmen in his own party have stalled it on Capitol Hill. He will host a prime time press conference tonight to push the legislation which he had hoped would be passed by both the Senate and House before they leave for their August recess at the end of next week.

One reason for the decline in support may be the legislative emphasis on universal coverage rather than cost controls. Voters see cost, not universal coverage, as the biggest health care concern. Also, 78% believe that health care reform is likely to lead to middle class tax hikes. Figuring out how to pay for the trillion dollar-plus plan has presented a significant challenge for congressional Democrats working on the legislation.

Another factor that may be playing a role is underlying public skepticism about the legislative process. Americans, by a two-to-one margin, believe that no matter how bad things are, Congress can always make it worse.

Despite the declining support for the plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats, 51% of voters say it’s at least somewhat likely that it will be passed this year. That figure includes 17% who say it’s very likely to pass.

Overall, just 35% of Americans rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. But 70% of those who have health insurance rate their own coverage as good or excellent.

One key item in the overall debate is a government health insurance company that would compete with private insurers. Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters favor a public health care option while 50% are opposed.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_con...lth_care_reform

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's moving through Congress is mostly garbage. I would count myself to those "at least somewhat opposed" to the measures under consideration - those measures ain't reform, they're pouring down money a bottomles barrel. They moved away from reforming the system and towards making the profiteers of the broken system richer at the expense of all of us. That's a joke - well, it would be if it was at least somewhat funny.

[mawilson 2,133]

What's moving through Congress is mostly garbage. I would count myself to those "at least somewhat opposed" to the measures under consideration - those measures ain't reform, they're pouring down money a bottomles barrel.

How would you reform health care?

I think we all agree that people should not be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Go after drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs - or simply allow Americans

to import their drugs from Canada and the free market will take care of the rest.

What else?

Edited July 23, 2009 by mawilson

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's moving through Congress is mostly garbage. I would count myself to those "at least somewhat opposed" to the measures under consideration - those measures ain't reform, they're pouring down money a bottomles barrel.

How would you reform health care?

I think we all agree that people should not be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Go after drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs - or simply allow Americans to import their drugs from Canada and the free market will take care of the rest.

What else?

Cut the insane profits of the insurance companies - cut them out of this business altogether. They don't add any value in the process and that's where hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved annually. In short: single payer - that's how I'd do it.

[mawilson 2,133]

Cut the insane profits of the insurance companies - cut them out of this business altogether. They don't add any value in the process and that's where hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved annually. In short: single payer - that's how I'd do it.

I suspect that's exactly his plan. A public option will crowd out private coverage and

eventually lead the way to a single-payer system, because its existence will encourage

employers to dump their expensive private plans and force millions of people into the

public system.

All I can say, be careful what you wish for...

[GaryC 7]

What's moving through Congress is mostly garbage. I would count myself to those "at least somewhat opposed" to the measures under consideration - those measures ain't reform, they're pouring down money a bottomles barrel. They moved away from reforming the system and towards making the profiteers of the broken system richer at the expense of all of us. That's a joke - well, it would be if it was at least somewhat funny.

We agree on this but want the solution to go in different directions. I assume that you want the single payer option. Ok, that is your opinion and your entitled to it. I would go in the other direction. I would get government out of health care all together. I would lift all mandates and requirements on insurance companies that in some part are running up the costs that must be passed onto us. I would also have tort reform that would stop all frivalous law suits that force doctors to order tests that are not needed but used to cover their a$$es. Thats not to say I would stop real malpractice suits where a doctor really screws up though, but the CYA mentality is a real driver of the expensive costs we have today.

We are opposite sides of the coin I think. You think the government is the answer and I think they are the problem.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Cut the insane profits of the insurance companies - cut them out of this business altogether. They don't add any value in the process and that's where hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved annually. In short: single payer - that's how I'd do it.

I suspect that's exactly his plan. A public option will crowd out private coverage and eventually lead the way to a single-payer system, because its existence will encourage employers to dump their expensive private plans and force millions of people into the public system.

All I can say, be careful what you wish for...

I've experienced a single payer system and liked it. Plus, it's one heck of a lot less expensive.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's moving through Congress is mostly garbage. I would count myself to those "at least somewhat opposed" to the measures under consideration - those measures ain't reform, they're pouring down money a bottomles barrel. They moved away from reforming the system and towards making the profiteers of the broken system richer at the expense of all of us. That's a joke - well, it would be if it was at least somewhat funny.

We agree on this but want the solution to go in different directions. I assume that you want the single payer option. Ok, that is your opinion and your entitled to it. I would go in the other direction. I would get government out of health care all together. I would lift all mandates and requirements on insurance companies that in some part are running up the costs that must be passed onto us. I would also have tort reform that would stop all frivalous law suits that force doctors to order tests that are not needed but used to cover their a$$es. Thats not to say I would stop real malpractice suits where a doctor really screws up though, but the CYA mentality is a real driver of the expensive costs we have today.

We are opposite sides of the coin I think. You think the government is the answer and I think they are the problem.

Doctors primarily do lots of tests and procedures because that's how they make money. The key to stopping that is finding a compensation model different than the fee-for-service which is what's currently going on. The cost of malpractice lawsuits is a mere 2% of the overall health care expenditure - not much to be had in terms of savings. Insurance overhead, on the other hand, is 20% to 30% - that's where the savings are.

It's not about government being the answer it's that the private inductry has demonstrated quite impressively that - in this arena - it can perform much worse than any government has ever managed to perform. There's no use in making profit the primary focus when the health and well being of a nation is at stake.