Forty-seven percent (47%) of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. With the exception of bounces following nationally televised presidential appeals, that’s the highest level of support measured for the legislative effort all year.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% are opposed to the plan.
Intensity is still stronger among those who oppose the push to change the nation’s health care system: 25% Strongly Favor the plan while 39% are Strongly Opposed.

Since July, support has generally remained between 41% and 46%. Last week, the effort was supported by 45% of voters. Two weeks ago, it was supported by 42%.

Rasmussen Reports continues to track public opinion on the health care plan on a weekly basis. Next week’s update will give an indication as to whether these numbers reflect a trend of growing support or are merely statistical noise.

As has been the case for months, Democrats favor the plan while Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party are opposed. The latest numbers show support from 79% of those in the president’s party. The plan is opposed by 78% of Republicans and 61% of unaffiliated voters.

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Fifty-six percent (52%) of voters now say passage of the legislation will increase health care costs while 45% say it will hurt the quality of care.

Still, 54% now say the reform plan is at least somewhat likely to become law. That figure includes 19% who say passage is Very Likely. The debate has now moved to the Senate where a different version of the legislation is expected to emerge.

Over the weekend, the abortion issue divided Democrats and created challenges for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Earlier polling showed that 48% nationwide favored the abortion ban, but most supporters of health care reform didn’t want to address the issue. Just 13% of all voters wanted abortion coverage mandated in the legislation.

Another issue that arose during the debate was immigration. Eighty-three percent (83%) of voters say that proof of citizenship should be required before anyone can get health care assistance from a government program.

Voters also favor competition, and 65% would like to remove the existing anti-trust exemption for health insurance companies. Two-thirds (66%) say an increase in free market competition will do more than government regulation to reduce health care costs.

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.

But most fear that the plan might encourage companies to drop coverage for employees and shift their workers on to the government health care plan. A plurality of Democrats believe this would be good for workers, but most Republicans and unaffiliated voters disagree. As Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, wrote 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.”

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

Polling on the health care topic by many firms has created some confusion. In particular, polls on the “public option” show a wide variety of results. A recent poll in The Washington Post found that 57% support a government-run health insurance company to compete with private insurers, but Rasmussen Reports polling shows that support is very soft. In fact, people are strongly opposed to a public option if they think it could lead employers to drop the existing coverage they provide employees. The fact that results are so subject to change based upon minor differences in question wording suggests that voters do not have firm opinions on the public option.

Virtually all polling shows a plurality or majority opposed to the current plan in Congress. The poll in The Washington Post found just 45% support for the congressional plan among all adults. Additionally, support for the current plan has remained stable suggesting that public opinion is firmly established at this time.

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.

Only 31% believe Congress has a good understanding of the proposed health care reform.

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