Half (50%) of American voters favor government guaranteed universal health care coverage. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that a plurality (43%) believe such a program would be better run by private companies than by the government.

The survey was conducted shortly after Senator Hillary Clinton unveiled her health care proposal to the nation. Clinton’s plan would require every American to purchase health insurance and provide financial assistance through tax breaks and other means to help keep in affordable.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters now say that the U.S. health care and health insurance system needs major changes. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say modest changes are needed. In evaluating Senator Clinton’s proposal, 49% of voters believe it calls for major changes and 24% say Clinton is seeking modest changes. Another 7% say she is proposing only minor while 20% are not sure.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of liberal voters say that major changes are needed. Only 39% of liberals believe that Clinton is proposing major changes.

Health care remains a top issue for voters heading into Election 2008 and one where voters trust Democrats far more than Republicans. An earlier survey found that Just 33% give the U.S. health care system good or excellent ratings. Another 31% say our national health care system is just fair while 34% say poor.

While there is widespread concern over the health care system, the solutions acceptable to voters require a nuanced approach. For example, while the current survey finds 50% in favor of government guaranteed health insurance, an earlier survey found that just 33% favor a national health insurance program. Additionally, while half of all voters favor government guaranteed insurance coverage, only 36% believe that such a program would be better run by the government. Forty-three percent (43%) believe it would be better run by “private companies under something like current private insurance” programs.

Other political challenges abound, especially among small businesses—60% of small business owners believe that a government mandate to provide healthcare coverage to employees would have a negative impact on their business and 57% favor taxing wealthier Americans to provide coverage for those without insurance.

The most recent telephone survey also finds significant gender and partisan gaps on the issue. Women strongly favor a government guarantee of universal health insurance coverage. Men are more evenly divided. Men, by a 53% to 33% margin say that private companies would do a better job running a guaranteed health insurance program while women are evenly divided.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Democrats favor government guaranteed universal health care. That view is shared by 29% of Republicans and 48% of those not affiliated with either major party.

Democrats, by a 53% to 25% margin, believe such a program would be better run by the government. Republicans (59% to 25%) and unaffiliated voters (49% to 27%) take the opposite view and believe the program would be better run by private companies.

Thirty percent (30%) say they followed news stories about the Clinton proposal Very Closely and another 35% followed the story Somewhat Closely.

Earlier, Rasmussen Reports released health care related surveys when Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards unveiled their plans.

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