Fifty-one percent (51%) of U.S. voters oppose the creation of a single-payer national health insurance plan overseen by the federal government, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Thirty percent (30%) favor a government-run health plan, and 19% are undecided.

Democrats favor a government-run national single-payer plan by a 45% to 30% margin. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans are against a plan run by the government. Unaffiliated voters oppose such a plan, 54% to 24%.

Similarly, 55% of white voters oppose a government-run plan, while a plurality of African-Americans (44%) support it. But black voters are nearly twice as likely as whites to be undecided on the issue, too.

Ideologically, 61% of liberals favor a national health plan overseen by the government, compared to 30% of moderates and 14% of conservatives.

Married voters by double digits are more opposed to a government plan than unmarrieds.

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In July, only 39% of adults opposed a national health insurance program overseen by the federal government. Twenty-nine percent supported such a plan, and 31% were undecided.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters believe it is possible to provide health insurance for everyone, but 37% disagree. Thirteen percent (13%) aren’t sure. Younger voters are more confident in the possibility than older voters.

A majority of U.S. voters (58%) oppose any kind of government-controlled health plan if it means they have to change their own insurance coverage.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters say it is at least somewhat likely that the Obama Administration and the new Congress with larger Democratic majorities will pass a health care reform bill that provides insurance coverage for just about everybody. Twenty percent (21%) say it is Very Likely. Only six percent (6%) say it is not at all likely to happen.

President-elect Obama is urging Americans to have discussion groups between December 15 and December 31 to discuss health care alternatives. Tom Daschle, his nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, will collect recommendations, including those sent into a special website, and report back to Obama.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index continues to show Obama with near-record high approval numbers for his performance as president-elect.

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