CBS/NY Times Poll: 72% are in favor of a government-run health insurance plan (includ. 50% of Repub)

[TeamJordan23]

Support for public health insurance: 72% in favor, 20% opposed, 7% no opinion

Among Republicans: 50% favor, 39% oppose, 11% no opinion

Among Democrats: 87% in favor, 9% oppose, 4% no opinion

Willingness to pay higher taxes so all can have health care: 57% willing, 37% not willing, 6% no opinion

Among those making less than $50,000: 64% willing, 27% not willing, 8% no opinion

Among those making more than $50,000: 52% willing, 44% not willing, 4% no opinion

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?_r=1&hp

[vaberella]

1. I'm willing to pay more taxes as long as -- I get covered gym membership.

Otherwise...they can tax soda, junk food (fast food), alcohol, cigarettes, and rich people as a way to cover costs.

[Gman]

10. I sincerely hope that you stay healthy, have good benefits

and never lose a job and have a catastrophic illness, have to file for bankruptcy because you've got several hundred thousand in medical bills you can never pay. Because things cannot continue as they are now.

[vaberella]

19. You have no idea of my personal background to make any comments.

You have no idea. My statement is two fold. They can tax me, personally who has no health insurance, a medical condition which could kill me in extreme cases if they provide free gym membership. A gym membership/fitness group membership is one of the most vital things towards PREVENTATIVE CARE and community building. Do you know the wonders it has provided for those who are addicted to drugs? It would be the first step in curtailing drug abuses.

However, do to the fact that I very little income to be taxed I would rather see other means and things that hurt someone's health be taxed in order to supplement the funding which is soda, junk food/fast food, and the like.

Lastly, I have spoken out in support of the PO from the beginning...unlike those who keep pushing an unworkable single payer system.

[clear eye]

38. Surprised to hear you calling the system that has worked 30+ years all over Europe "unworkable"

It has helped protect their industrial base, and given even less wealthy nations like Italy a healthier citizenry and better outcomes to serious illnesses than we have.

The problem all along w/ the "public option" is that there can be no accepted definition of it. It's not like "ending the war", where we pretty much know what that means and what a bill would have to say to accomplish that. Or like HR 676 Medicare for All which has been spelled out in black & white for over two years now.

There are endless possible variations to a "public option", and many politicians want a vague definition, so they can say they listened to their constituencies and passed a "public option", while passing something that benefits private insurers at our expense. Something as meaningless as a slight expansion of Medicaid w/ a new name, could be called a "public option". Something as harmful as lumping Medicaid and Medicare together, requiring means tests for the new combined program and reducing coverage in the name of cost-cutting is now being called a "public option".

Thing is, when the miserable excuse for a public option passes, HCAN (the organization of my-party-right-or-wrong types promoting whatever public option the President puts forward) will be all over the media cheering. It will be as close as you can come to impossible for those who were supporting a different idea of public option to get heard clarifying how they did not want anything like what passed. And when it crashes and burns, giving fewer people the healthcare they need, not more, while transferring tax money into the coffers of the private insureres, the majority of the public will be convinced that people who advocate for gov't involvement in healthcare can't find their private parts w/ both hands.

I like to see my hopes become law just as much as the next politically aware person. Whether it's bitter experience or a quirk of character, though, I've learned to see a destructive cooption coming a mile away. Miraculously, on this issue, we have a choice to support something that can't be twisted inside out. And if we do, we "healthcare-is-a-right" folks won't be made to look like head in the clouds idiots. There won't be any question that what we wanted was something very different than what was passed.

That's why I've been backing single-payer and encouraging others to do so as well.

[saltpoint]

2. Recommended.

[sandyd921]

3. K&R!

[JimWis]

4. Thanks for that info. I was wondering about that earlier today.

If 72% of people want a public health plan, some of them had to be Republicans. I don't understand why the Republicans in congress are all against this when there own supporters want it. Well actually I do - they put special interest ahead of the people. But they better wake up and look around. Very interesting statistics.

[burrowowl]

5. Even if taxes go up a bit

Think of how much money you will save by not paying medical care in car insurance, workers comp, etc. Not paying the overhead and exec salaries and shareholder dividends for HMOs , etc.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

6. It feels good

to be in the majority, for once....87% of Democrats!

[Larkspur]

7. Wonder if the Sunday moring bobble heads will discuss this poll?

Or will they spew b.s. from their a-holes?

[Better Believe It]

9. Not if Democratic Senators who support the public option remain in hiding!

Why are they not making the rounds of the talk shows, calling news conferences, speaking a public meetings., etc.,

The Republicans and some of their Democratic "centrist" friends have been doing this for weeks and have taken control of the message.

They have not been answered by Senate Democrats. They need to get off their butts and support the people!

It looks like Robert Reich and Dean are out there alone twisting in the wind.

[yodermon]

8. isn't this ass-backwards?? what the hell is wrong with people???

Among those making less than $50,000: 64% willing, 27% not willing, 8% no opinion

Among those making more than $50,000: 52% willing, 44% not willing, 4% no opinion

:wtf:

[Colobo]

11. Americans are ready for universal health care. Period.

[sisters6]

14. minus most of congress

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. I guess a lot of people aren't actually afraid of "socialized medicine"

at least not apparently as much as back in 1993-1994

[tinrobot]

13. 87% of all Democrats are in favor...

Yet, from what I can tell, only 50% of Democratic SENATORS are in favor...

[LittleBlue]

15. The only poll that matters-- 99% of CEO's against it

Sorry, American People, you really don't matter.

[Vinca]

16. Bingo.

[stevenleser]

20. Not even CEOs or CFOs are against it

Particularly not those of small and medium sized companies but those of the large ones arent againt Universal Healthcare either. Health care premiums have gotten big enough to be, behind salary, the biggest cost of labor and its not that far behind salary in some situations.

I think Democrats don't realize how much cover they have for this.

[pleah]

17. K&R

[NorthCarolina]

18. 100% of Insurance Companies and Big Pharma Oppose it though

any guesses as to whose desires carry more weight with Republicans and their Conservative Dem counterparts? You want REAL CHANGE....work to vote conservative Democrats OUT and replace them with traditional Progressive Democrats. Until that happens, don't expect anything other than rebranded status-quo.

[stevenleser]

21. And big pharma can be negotiated with on this as is already happening.

It's the big insurance companies that are the problem and conservative punditry and politicians are doing their best to make this seem a more divisive issue than it is because they know if we pass this, they are toast. People will love Democrats for doing this.

[tomm2thumbs]

23. this may sound wrong, but Costco is a good example in their own field

... cost effective, quality merchandise & best guarantee - and the price is right. I'm not saying you don't sacrifice on some things because that would be unreasonable, but Costco still exists right next to Best Buy and Sears and Target and still very much hold their own. Uh, ok. So what is my point.

THEY ARE MAKING LOTS OF MONEY - these idiots in the healthcare business don't realize how much quality, cost-effective volume can do for a business! They want to continue to whittle down their customer base, to the point where people are literally leaving the country to have procedures, and then cry foul and raise rates further.

The results of that NYT poll are great - this is truly a case where everyone wins in the end if this just simply gets done. The industry needs to be ignored at some level, or it will be like the tobacco industry where we look back decades later and say 'what on earth were those government idiots back then thinking?!!'

Can we not do that?

[NorthCarolina]

30. Another good analogy for private business in competition with a Government Agency

would be UPS and FedEx which seem to have built profitable companies in spite of competition with the USPS. Insurance companies don't want competition, they don't want to insure sick people that will drain funds, they just want to collect $300 or more per month to cover those that only need an annual trip to the doctor for a "checkup". Get sick and they'll find a way to dump your ass.

[tom_paine]

22. What a shame the American Subject Populace has nothing to do with governing this Inverted

Totalitarian Empire. (Obama's election notwithstanding, the Bushies HAD to let him win, otherwise finally risk an Iran after 8 years of continuous corruption and abuse)

[treestar]

24. How interesting that those who make more the 50K are less willing to

pay higher taxes so everyone can have health care. It says something, but I'm not sure what.

[Kaleva]

25. They may already have good health coverage...

and are not keen on paying higher taxes so that those less fortunate are covered too.

[karynnj]

26. Sorry to nitpick - Truncating the question distorts this - the 72% are for a public option

competing with private plans. The way you wrote it, it sounds like a single payer government plan - but given other answers that is not the case.

"The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan — something like Medicare for those under 65 — that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. "

This is strong back up for Howard Dean and others fighting for a strong public option.

[MGKrebs]

35. This is important.

The OP linked to the NY Times analysis, but the CBS analysis of the same poll says this:

"Less than one in three, however, say the government would do a better job than private insurance companies at actually providing medical coverage. Forty-four percent said the government would be worse as a health care provider than private companies."

It's not as clear cut as we would hope. This is going to take a very compelling marketing program.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/01/opinion/polls/main2528357.shtml

[EndElectoral]

27. Where are our Dem Reps and the Prez? Among Democrats: 87% in favor, 9% oppose, 4% no opinion

[GivePeaceAchance]

28. That's very positive all senators should be riding that wave to keep their seats as safe as possible...

If they get a decent through health plan they maybe forgiven on other things. I'm with Sanders though take their time to make sure it's right and not rushed. Just give firm re-affirmations things are moving constructively.

[Uncle Joe]

29. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TeamJordan.

[Dr Fate]

31. Conservative Democrats don't give a shit- unless this 72% is going to pony up a nice bribe check...

...like their Health-Profit corporation donors do...

[flamingdem]

32. THIS IS NEWS ... Enough of Iran already that's all CNN is showing for DAYS!

It's like a news blockade. Really it's not as important as HEALTH CARE !!

[quidam56]

33. Then 72% of us should be in contact with our congress person and senator

I know what is called quality health care in Tennessee and Virginia. Clearly PROFIT CARE is more important than PATIENT CARE. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 How many more will die for the greedy health care system in America ?

[Laelth]

34. Yet, sadly, we are not likely to get a public option.

Folks, all we've got is fascism with a kinder, gentler face. It's the perfect marriage of corporations and the state. "We the People" no longer control our government. Corporations do. If the insurance industry doesn't want us to have a public option, it isn't going to happen.

:dem:

-Laelth

[femrap]

36. Hey Prez.....

DO YOU HEAR THAT????????

[HughMoran]

37. What else do you need to know

Get-r-done