Voters are now almost evenly divided over whether passage of the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats will force them to change their existing health care coverage.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% of those with insurance say it is at least somewhat likely that they will have to change their own insurance coverage if the health care reform plan is passed. But that marks an eight-point drop in the level of concern since early September. Forty-five percent (45%) say it is not likely that they will be forced to switch plans.

Those figures include 27% who say they are very likely to have to change and 13% who say such a change is not at all likely.

This figure is critical to the ongoing debate because as Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal: “The most important fundamental is that 68% of American voters have health insurance coverage they rate good or excellent. … Most of these voters approach the health care reform debate fearing that they have more to lose than to gain.”

Forty-two percent (42%) now favor the health care plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats, but 54% oppose it.

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One version of the proposed legislation would require employers to either provide health insurance for all their employees or pay a penalty equal to eight percent (8%) of their payroll costs. If a company decided to pay the fine rather than provide health insurance, their employees would be enrolled in a "public option" government-sponsored health insurance plan.

Given this possibility, 44% of voters favor the plan and 42% are opposed. A plurality of those who have insurance oppose the measure while most of those without coverage favor it.

Earlier data showed that 63% of all voters nationwide say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a health insurance company.

Other recent polling shows that 49% would rather see no health care legislation passed this year than see the current bill become law. Two-thirds (66%) say an increase in competition is more likely than increased government regulation to reduce the cost of health care. That’s one reason there is strong support for removing the exemption from anti-trust laws currently enjoyed by insurance companies.

While voters are skeptical of the plan working its way through Congress, 54% say major changes are needed in the health care system. Sixty-one percent (61%) say it’s important for Congress to pass some reform.

For Democratic voters, health care reform remains the top priority among those listed by the president earlier in the year. However, it ranks fourth on a list of four among Republicans and unaffiliated voters. Overall, 38% of voters see deficit reduction as most important while 23% cite health care reform as number one.

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