Cost, Not Universal Coverage, is Top Health Care Concern for Voters

Another survey shows that many of the survey numbers uses to show support for the proposed healthcare reform are only part of the message. It seems that very few surveyed top concern is quality of care or inconvenience of the current system. Overall people are concerned with the tax hikes associated with the plans. Some people say this comes down to party lines but look at the unaffiliated voters: 50% to 30% do not want the reform with tax hikes and two-to-one want to keep current coverage verses reform. So, when you hear surveys that 61% to 70% of Americans want reform, look further into the number to see what they really want!

Rasmussen Reports Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters nationwide say that cost is the biggest health care problem facing the nation today. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% believe the lack of universal health insurance coverage is a bigger problem.

Only 10% believe the quality of care is the top concern, and two percent (2%) point to the inconvenience factor of dealing with the current medical system.

Given a choice between health care reform and a tax hike or no health care reform and no tax hike, 47% would prefer to avoid the tax hike and do without reform. Forty-one percent (41%) take the opposite view.

The opposition is stronger when asked about a choice between health care reform that would require changing existing health insurance coverage or no health care reform and no change from current coverage. In that case, voters oppose reform by a 54% to 32% margin.

Surveys released at the end of this past week show that 78% believe the passage of health care reform is likely to mean middle-class tax hikes. Also, by a 50% to 35% margin, Americans oppose the creation of a government insurance company to compete with private insurers.

Polling released earlier in the week found that 46% favored the health care plan working its way through Congress while 49% were opposed. However, there have been many developments on Capitol Hill since that survey was completed. Updated polling will be conducted next week.

On all questions in the new survey, there are huge partisan differences with Democrats holding one view while Republicans and voters not affiliated with either party hold another.

On the question of the biggest health care problem, Republicans and unaffiliated voters overwhelmingly say cost is number one. While Democrats lean in that direction, they are much more evenly divided. Fifty-two percent (52%) of those in President Obama’s party say cost is the top concern, but 35% think it’s the lack of universal coverage.

On the trade-off with taxes, 73% of Democrats would rather have reform and a tax hike while 79% of Republicans say the opposite. As for unaffiliateds, they side with the GOP by a 50% to 30% margin.

On the trade-off between reform and keeping your current insurance coverage, Democrats opt for reform by a two-to-one margin. Unaffiliated voters prefer keeping their existing insurance coverage by two-to-one. Republicans overwhelmingly prefer to maintain their current insurance.

Earlier surveys have shown that health care reform is the top priority for Democrats. But Republicans and unaffiliated voters view deficit reduction as more important.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.