While most Americans oppose the health care legislation working its way through Congress, most also believe the reform is something the federal government should be dealing with.
Only 27% of voters nationwide favor a single-payer health care system where the federal government provides coverage for everyone. That’s down five points from August.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of voters nationwide now believe protests at congressional town hall meetings on the health care reform plan were phony efforts drummed up by special interest groups and lobbyists, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters nationwide favor limiting the amount of money a jury can award a plaintiff in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 29% disagree and 14% are not sure.
Members of Congress may rely upon the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), but voters are skeptical. The CBO has projected that the health care legislation now being considered by Congress would make the federal budget deficit a bit smaller over the coming decade, but only 17% of voters believe that’s true.
The U.S. Senate is now formally beginning debate on a plan to reform health care in America, but most voters remain opposed to the plan working its way through Congress.
Only 18% of voters nationwide believe that most people join AARP, once known as the American Association of Retired Persons, because they support its political agenda, but it is still perceived by many as a partisan organization.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters nationwide now rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent. That marks a steady increase from 44% at the beginning of October, 35% in May and 29% a year-and-a-half ago.
A blog entry posted at CQPolitics.com looked at a recent Rasmussen Reports poll and another by the Kaiser Family Foundation and concluded that the “new polls disagree on whether a government overhaul of the nation's health care system will leave people better off or worse off.”
Just 38% of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June.
While the Senate is now preparing to debate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's 2000-plus-page version of the health care reform plan, 47% of Americans still believe the private sector rather than the federal government has the best chance of keeping health care costs down and the quality of medical care up.
Forty-five percent (45%) of Americans say the cost of prescription drugs will go up if the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats becomes law.
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.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the House version of health care reform legislation last week, but most voters are still opposed to the effort.
Seventy-two percent (72%) of voters nationwide say passage of the proposed health care plan could lead companies to drop private health insurance coverage for their employees. Forty-eight percent (48%) say it's very likely.
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.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the House version of health care reform legislation last week, but most voters are still opposed to the effort.
