Health Policy (10)

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Health Policy (p. 10)

Ipsos/McClatchy Poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Oct. 1-5, 2009. N=1,296 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.7.

"One of the points being debated is whether or not the government should create a public health insurance plan as an alternative to private insurance plans. Which of the following is closest to your opinion? It is necessary to create a public health insurance plan to make sure that all Americans have access to quality health care. Access to quality health care for all Americans can be achieved without having to create a public health insurance plan."

		Public Plan Is Necessary	Public Plan Is Not Necessary	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/1-5/09	53	42	5
	8/27-31/09	49	46	5
	7/9-13/09	52	44	4

Quinnipiac University Poll. Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2009. N=2,630 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 1.9.

"Do you support or oppose President Obama's health care reform plan?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	40	47	12

"Do you support or oppose requiring businesses to help pay the cost of health insurance for their employees?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	73	23	5
	6/23-29/09	73	24	3

"Do you support or oppose giving people the option of being covered by a government health insurance plan that would compete with private plans?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	61	34	6
	7/27 - 8/3/09	62	32	6
	6/23-29/09	69	26	5

"Do you agree or disagree with the following? Congress should approve a health care overhaul plan even if only Democrats support it."

		Agree	Disagree	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	37	57	6
	7/27 - 8/3/09	36	59	5

"Do you think the Republicans in Congress are, or are not, making a good faith effort to cooperate with Obama and the Democrats on health care reform?"

		Are	Are Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	29	59	12

"Do you think Obama and the Democrats in Congress are, or are not, making a good faith effort to cooperate with the Republicans on health care reform?"

		Are	Are Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	41	46	13

"President Obama has pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our federal budget deficit over the next decade. Do you think that President Obama will be able to keep his promise or do you think any health care plan that Congress passes and President Obama signs will add to the federal budget deficit?"

		Will be Able to Keep His Promise	Any Plan Will Add to Deficit	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/29 - 10/5/09	19	71	9
	7/27 - 8/3/09	21	72	7

Pew Research Center Poll. Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 2009. N=1,500 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"How much confidence do you have in Barack Obama to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with health care reform: a great deal of confidence, a fair amount of confidence, not too much confidence, or no confidence at all?" N=747 (Form 1), MoE ą 4

		A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Not Too Much	None at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/30 - 10/4/09	20	30	21	27	2

"Now I'd like to ask you about some of the specific proposals being considered to address health care. Would you favor or oppose [see below]?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Requiring that all Americans have health insurance, with the government providing financial help for those who can't afford it"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	66	30	4
	7/22-26/09	65	29	6

	"A government health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	55	38	8
	7/22-26/09	52	37	10

	"Requiring insurance companies to sell health coverage to people, even if they have pre-existing medical conditions"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	82	14	4
	7/22-26/09	79	15	6

	"Requiring employers to pay into a government health care fund if they do not provide health insurance to their employees"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	59	36	5

	"Raising taxes on families with incomes of more than $350,000 as a way to pay for changes to the health care system"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	58	39	3

	"Limits on the amount of money that patients can collect in medical malpractice lawsuits"
	9/30 - 10/4/09	66	27	7

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Sept. 19-23, 2009. N=1,042 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Are you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the quality of the health care you receive? Would you say you are very satisfied/dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied/dissatisfied?"

		Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	41	37	10	8	4

"Regardless of how you usually vote, who do you think has better ideas about reforming the health care system: Barack Obama, or the Republicans in Congress?"

		Barack Obama	Republicans in Congress	Both (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	52	27	2	11	8
	8/27-31/09	50	23	1	13	13
	7/24-28/09	55	26	1	7	11

"Do you think you understand the health care reforms under consideration in Congress, or are they confusing to you?"

		Understand	Confusing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	37	59	4
	8/27-31/09	31	67	2

"Do you mostly support or mostly oppose the changes to the health care system proposed by Barack Obama, or don't you know enough about them yet to say?"

		Mostly Support	Mostly Oppose	Don't Know Enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	30	23	46	1

"What if changes to the health care system do not include the option of a government-administered health insurance plan? In that case, would you favor or oppose the changes under consideration?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/19-23/09	38	40	22

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Sept. 17-20, 2009. N=1,005 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"How well do you think you understand the health care legislation that is currently being debated in Congress? Do you understand it very well, pretty well, only some, or not very well?"

		Very Well	Pretty Well	Only Some	Not Very Well
		%	%	%	%
	9/17-20/09	15	42	32	11

"Regardless of whether you favor or oppose the health care legislation that is currently being discussed, do you personally care about this issue a great deal, a fair amount, just some, or very little?"

		A Great Deal	A Fair Amount	Just Some	Very Little
		%	%	%	%
	9/17-20/09	66	22	8	4

"Congress is considering many different items as part of health care reform legislation. I am going to read you some of the items they are considering that may or may not end up in the final legislation. For each one, please tell me whether you feel this absolutely must be included as part of health care legislation, you would prefer it be included, you would prefer it NOT be included, or you feel it absolutely must NOT be included. . . ." Half sample (Form A), MoE ą 4.4

		Must Be Included	Prefer It Be Included	Prefer It Not Be Included	Must Not Be Included	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Requiring that health insurance companies cover people with pre-existing medical conditions."
	9/17-20/09	63	26	5	4	2

	"Creating a law that limits the amount of money someone can collect if they win a lawsuit after being injured by bad medical care."
	9/17-20/09	36	29	14	14	7

	"Requiring that all but the smallest employers provide health coverage for their employees, or pay a percentage of their payroll to help fund coverage for the uninsured."
	9/17-20/09	26	37	15	18	4

	"Creating a public health care plan administered by the federal government that would compete directly with private health insurance companies."
	9/17-20/09	26	27	16	24	7

	"Creating a law that requires everyone to have health insurance coverage. Those people with low and moderate incomes would receive government assistance. Those people who can afford it would have to buy their own health insurance or pay a penalty or fine if they do not."
	9/17-20/09	18	20	23	34	5

Kaiser Family Foundation Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. Sept. 11-18, 2009. N=1,203 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Which worries you more? That Congress and the President will pass a reform bill that won't be good for you and your family. That Congress and the President won't be able to pass health care reform this year." Options rotated

		Will Pass a Bill That's Not Good	Won't Pass Reform This Year	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-18/09	51	41	5	3
	8/4-11/09	51	39	4	6
	7/7-14/09	54	39	4	3

"Many Republican members of Congress are opposing the health care reform proposals being discussed in Washington. Do you think they are opposed to these plans mainly because they think they will be bad for the country or mainly for political reasons?" Options rotated

		Think They Will be Bad	Political Reasons	Both (vol.)	Neither/ Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-18/09	31	57	9	1	2

"Now I'm going to read you some different ways to increase the number of Americans covered by health insurance. As I read each one, please tell me whether you would favor it or oppose it. Here's the (first/next) one: [See below.] Do you favor or oppose this?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Creating a government-administered public health insurance option similar to Medicare to compete with private health insurance plans" N=649 (Form A)
	9/11-18/09	57	37	6

	"Offering tax credits to help people buy private health insurance" N=649 (Form A)
	9/11-18/09	67	26	7

	"Expanding Medicare to cover people between the ages of 55 and 64 who do not have health insurance" N=649 (Form A)
	9/11-18/09	74	20	6

	"Expanding state government programs for low-income people, such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program" N=554 (Form B)
	9/11-18/09	82	16	2

	"Having a national health plan or single-payer plan in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan" N=554 (Form B)
	9/11-18/09	40	56	5

	"Requiring employers to offer health insurance to their workers or pay money into a government fund that will pay to cover those without insurance" N=554 (Form B)
	9/11-18/09	67	28	5

Bloomberg Poll conducted by Selzer & Co. Sept. 10-14, 2009. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.

"For each of the following, please tell me if you are mostly optimistic or mostly pessimistic. The likelihood Congress will pass a health care overhaul bill by the end of 2009."

		Optimistic	Pessimistic	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	39	56	5

"Which do you think is the greater risk: to pass a health reform package that may contain some flaws and unexpected consequences, or to do nothing and let things continue the way they are?"

		Pass a Flawed Package	Do Nothing	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	45	48	7

"Turning now to health care, in general, do you favor or oppose President Obama's plan for health care reform? ... Do you favor/oppose strongly or just favor/oppose?"

		Favor Strongly	Just Favor	Just Oppose	Oppose Strongly	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	24	24	12	30	10

	Asked of those who have an opinion of Obama's plan (N=909): "Did President Obama's speech to Congress make you more or less likely to support his health care proposals, or did your opinion not change?"

		More Likely	Less Likely	No Change	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	22	10	62	6

"I'm going to mention some possible goals of a health care reform package and I'd like to hear your view. For each, please tell me if the goal is critically important, nice to have, not that important, or in fact a bad idea. . . ."

		Critically Important	Nice to Have	Not That Important	A Bad Idea	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Find a way for those who are currently uninsured to get health insurance coverage"
	9/10-14/09	61	29	3	5	2

	"Hold down the costs individuals currently pay for premiums, deductibles and co-pays"
	9/10-14/09	54	36	5	4	1

	"Prevent insurance companies from dropping any person from coverage"
	9/10-14/09	61	24	4	9	2

	"Prevent insurance companies from refusing to insure any person because of pre-existing conditions"
	9/10-14/09	61	22	4	11	2

	"Create an insurance exchange where those without insurance could choose from a number of affordable plans"
	9/10-14/09	47	41	4	6	2

	"Require all employers to offer a health insurance plan to their employees"
	9/10-14/09	41	34	8	16	1

	"Require everyone to have health insurance, just like everyone who owns a car is required to have auto insurance"
	9/10-14/09	33	26	12	27	2

"I'm going to mention some things that have been talked about recently as part of a plan to reform health care. For each, please tell me if you think this is a legitimate issue or a distortion or scare tactic. . . ."

		Legitimate	Scare Tactic	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"Death panels of government officials would decide how much medical care ailing individuals will receive"
	9/10-14/09	30	63	7

	"Health care would be rationed"
	9/10-14/09	35	59	6

	"Health care would become socialized medicine, with government-owned and operated health care for all"
	9/10-14/09	43	52	5

	"Government money would be used to pay for abortions"
	9/10-14/09	33	61	6

	"Government money would pay for health care for illegal immigrants"
	9/10-14/09	37	58	5

"Which side is doing more to reach out to the other side? Is President Obama doing more to reach out to Republicans, or are Republicans doing more to reach out to President Obama?"

		Obama Doing More	Republicans Doing More	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	54	22	24

"Now I am going to mention some health groups and institutions. For each, please tell me your feelings -- are you very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable or very unfavorable? . . ."

		Very Favorable	Mostly Favorable	Mostly Unfavorable	Very Unfavorable	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Health insurance companies"
	9/10-14/09	11	37	34	16	2

	"Doctors as a group"
	9/10-14/09	27	58	9	3	3

	"Drug companies"
	9/10-14/09	9	35	34	19	3

	"Hospitals"
	9/10-14/09	28	55	11	4	2

	"Medicare"
	9/10-14/09	29	50	12	4	5

"How would you describe the current health care system? Is it badly broken, has some problems to be fixed, or is really pretty good?"

		Badly Broken	Some Problems	Really Pretty Good	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-14/09	25	63	11	1

	Asked of those who said "badly broken" or "some problems" (N=877): "Of the following, which ONE or TWO are MOST responsible for any problems in the current health care system? Employers. Insurance companies. The federal government. Consumers who use health care. Hospitals. Doctors and other health care providers." Multiple responses

			%
	Insurance companies		63
	The federal government		21
	Doctors, health care providers		15
	Consumers		14
	Hospitals		11
	Employers		4
	Other		2
	Unsure		5

"Here are some things President Obama promised in his speech Wednesday night. For each, please tell me if you agree with the statement and believe it is possible, agree but think it is not possible, or believe the statement is not an accurate picture of the situation. . . ."

		Agree/ Possible	Agree/ Not Possible	Not Accurate	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"No money from the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for President Obama's proposed plan."
	9/10-14/09	42	18	32	8

	"There will be ways to pay for the plan so it will not add one dime to the federal budget deficit."
	9/10-14/09	24	33	39	4

	"There will be enough savings from the plan to close the gap on the high costs some Medicare patients pay for prescription drugs."
	9/10-14/09	36	24	34	6

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,030 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.

"If you had to choose, which goal would you say is more important in terms of health care: expanding health care coverage to include nearly all Americans, or controlling rising health care costs in the U.S. today?" Options rotated

		Expanding Coverage	Controlling Costs	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	39	59	1	1

"Now thinking about the medical care you receive -- How satisfied are you with the quality of medical care available to you and your family: very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?" Options rotated

		Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	39	41	14	5	1

"How satisfied are you with the cost of medical care for you and your family: very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied?" Options rotated

		Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	20	41	26	12	1

"Please say whether each of the following is a major problem, a minor problem, or not a problem for you, personally? How about . . . ?"

		Major Problem	Minor Problem	Not a Problem
		%	%	%

	"Rising health care costs, including costs such as insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses"
	9/11-13/09	46	31	22

		Major Problem	Minor Problem	Not a Problem	Do Not Have Insurance
		%	%	%	%

	"Reductions in what your insurance plan covers, including coverage such as which doctors you can see" Asked of those with health insurance. Results based on all adults.
	9/11-13/09	21	21	43	15

	"Insurance company paperwork or other requirements for getting certain medical treatments covered" Asked of those with health insurance. Results based on all adults.
	9/11-13/09	15	26	44	15

"Suppose a health care bill passes this year. Do you think [see below] would get better, would not change, or would get worse than if no health care bill passes?" N=529 adults (Form B), MoE ą 5

		Get Better	Not Change	Get Worse	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Health care coverage in the U.S."
	9/11-13/09	40	20	37	2

	"The overall costs of health care in the U.S."
	9/11-13/09	34	23	40	2

	"Insurance company requirements to get certain treatments covered"
	9/11-13/09	31	25	42	2

	"The overall quality of health care in the U.S."
	9/11-13/09	30	26	41	2

"As you may know, President Obama is proposing a health care plan that is designed to expand coverage to nearly all Americans without raising taxes on the middle class or lowering the quality of health care. If Obama's plan is passed, do you think it would or would not be able to accomplish all of these goals?"

		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	38	60	2

"How confident are you that most of the cost of President Obama's health care plan can be paid for through cost savings in Medicare and other parts of the existing health care system: very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not confident at all?"

		Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Too Confident	Not at All Confident	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	11	32	19	37	1

"Would you support or oppose a health care reform plan that would expand health insurance coverage to nearly all Americans if [see below]?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%

	"It would result in higher taxes on the middle class"
	9/11-13/09	26	73	1

	"Middle class Americans would pay more for health care than they pay now"
	9/11-13/09	20	78	2

	"Middle class Americans would have more restrictions on what doctors they could see or medical treatments they could receive"
	9/11-13/09	15	84	1

	"The quality of health care middle class Americans receive would get worse"
	9/11-13/09	13	85	2

"How closely are you following the news about South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, who shouted 'You lie' during President Obama's health care speech on Wednesday night: very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?"

		Very Closely	Somewhat Closely	Not Too Closely	Not at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	20	32	22	25	1

"Do you support or oppose what Joe Wilson did during the speech?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	21	68	11

"Finally, returning to health care: Which comes closer to your view about health insurance? The government should be primarily responsible for making sure all Americans have health insurance. OR, Americans themselves should be primarily responsible for making sure they and their families have health insurance." Options rotated

		Government	Americans Themselves	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	37	61	3

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 11-13, 2009. N=1,012 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"From everything you have heard or read so far, do you favor or oppose Barack Obama's plan to reform health care?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	51	46	3
	Under 50 years	55	41
	50 to 64	50	49
	65 & older	41	54
	Democrats	80	18
	Independents	46	50
	Republicans	13	81

"From what you know of those health care reforms, do you think you and your family would, in general, be better off, worse off or about the same?"

		Better Off	Worse Off	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	21	35	43	1
	8/28-31/09	21	38	40	-
	6/26-28/09	20	35	44	1

"And from what you know of those health care reforms, do you think senior citizens who are currently on Medicare would, in general, be better off, worse off or about the same?"

		Better Off	Worse Off	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	24	37	36	3
	8/28-31/09	26	43	30	1

"How likely is it that Obama and Congress will be able to make substantial progress toward passing health care reform by the end of 2009? Is that very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or very unlikely?"

		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Somewhat Unlikely	Very Unlikely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	13	37	26	22	1

"In reacting to President Obama's health care proposals, do you think the Republicans are generally offering constructive criticism, or are they being obstructionist for mostly political reasons?"

		Constructive	Obstructionist	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	35	61	5

"Based on what you have read or heard about Obama's health care plan, please tell me whether you think each of the following would or would not happen if that plan became law. "If Obama's plan became law, do you think senior citizens or seriously ill patients would die because government panels would prevent them from getting the medical treatment they needed?"

		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	41	57	2

"If Obama's plan became law, do you think the federal government would or would not eventually take over all aspects of the country's health care system?"

		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	55	42	2

"If Obama's plan became law, do you think that the federal government would or would not provide insurance to illegal immigrants?"

		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	47	49	4

"If Obama's plan became law, do you think the federal budget deficit would or would not increase?"

		Would	Would Not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	74	24	2

"As you may know, President Obama presented his health care reform proposals to Congress and the American people in a broadcast address last Wednesday evening. How much do you know about the details of President Obama's health care proposals: a great deal, a good amount, only some, or not much at all?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Not Much at All
		%	%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	11	32	37	20

"During that address, a Republican member of the U.S. House shouted that Obama had lied while Obama was speaking. Do you think that was appropriate behavior or inappropriate behavior?"

		Appropriate	Inappropriate	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	15	85	1

"And just your best guess: Based on what you have read or heard about that address, do you think Obama lied while he was speaking to Congress on Wednesday night, or don't you think so?"

		Lied	Don't Think So	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/11-13/09	32	60	8

NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health survey. Aug. 27-Sept. 13, 2009. N=1,278 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Do you think members of Congress are paying too much, too little, or about the right amount of attention to what [see below] is/are saying about changes to the health care system?"

		Too Much	Too Little	About Right	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Health care interest groups"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	31	35	19	14

	"People like you"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	5	71	19	4

	"President Obama"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	27	38	26	9

	"Academic researchers and health care experts" N=637
	8/27 - 9/13/09	11	49	26	13

	"Financial experts and economists" N=641
	8/27 - 9/13/09	14	49	21	15

	"People who don't have health insurance" N=637
	8/27 - 9/13/09	16	56	19	8

	"People who have health insurance" N=641
	8/27 - 9/13/09	11	58	22	9

	"People on Medicare" N=637
	8/27 - 9/13/09	9	61	21	9

	"State governors" N=641
	8/27 - 9/13/09	9	46	21	24

	"Public opinion polls" N=637
	8/27 - 9/13/09	16	56	18	10

	"The media" N=641
	8/27 - 9/13/09	40	27	19	13

	"Religious and church groups" N=637
	8/27 - 9/13/09	17	38	23	21

"When it comes to designing health care legislation in Congress, which comes closer to your view? Congress should design the best health care legislation it can and not worry if health care interest groups support it or not. Health care interest groups will play an important role in carrying out changes to the health care system, so it's important to have them on board with the legislation." N=637

		Shouldn't Worry About Interest Groups	Important to Have Interest Groups on Board	Unsure	Refused
		%	%	%	%
	8/27 - 9/13/09	39	51	9	2

"When it comes to designing health care legislation in Congress, which comes closer to your view? Health care interest groups are too narrowly focused on their own interests and should not be part of the process. Health care interest groups add an important perspective to the debate and should be included in the process." N=641

		Should Not Be Included	Should Be Included	Unsure
		%	%	%
	8/27 - 9/13/09	47	45	8

"For each group I name, tell me how much responsibility you think that group bears for the current problems in the health care system. First/Next, do/does [see below] bear a lot of responsibility, some responsibility, just a little, or no responsibility at all for the current problems in the health care system?"

		A Lot	Some	Just a Little	None at All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%

	"Doctors"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	30	42	19	7	2

	"Hospitals"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	36	42	16	4	2

	"Pharmaceutical or drug companies"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	54	26	13	5	2

	"Patients themselves"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	27	38	24	11	1

	"Health insurance companies"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	56	27	12	3	1

	"Employers"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	20	35	31	11	2

	"The federal government"
	8/27 - 9/13/09	52	30	10	6	2

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 10-12, 2009. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.

"How much do you feel you know about Obama's proposals to change the health care system: a great deal, a good amount, only some or hardly anything?"

		A Great Deal	A Good Amount	Only Some	Hardly Anything	Nothing (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	19	36	31	12	1

"Which of these comes closest to your own view? The more I hear about the health care plan, the more I like it. OR, The more I hear about the health care plan, the less I like it." Options rotated

		The More I Like It	The Less I Like It	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	41	54	5

"And if the health care system is changed do you think [see below] will get better, get worse, or remain about the same?"

		Better	Worse	About the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%

	"Your health care costs"
	9/10-12/09	20	40	38	3
	8/13-17/09	19	41	37	3

"Would you support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans?" If oppose/unsure: "What if this government-sponsored plan was available only to people who cannot get health insurance from a private insurer? In that case, would you support or oppose it?" Combined responses to both questions:

		Support at First	Support if Only for Those Who Cannot Get Private Insurance	Oppose
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	55	21	24

"Say health care reform does NOT include the option of a government-sponsored health plan. In that case would you support or oppose the rest of the proposed changes to the health care system being developed by Congress and the Obama administration?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	50	42	8

"Do you think it's possible to reform the health care system in a way that people who have coverage now can keep it without any changes if they want to, or do you think health care reform will require everyone to make changes, whether they want to or not?" Options rotated

		Reform Possible w/o Changes	Reform Will Require Changes	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	49	48	3
	6/18-21/09	38	58	4

"Would you support or oppose a law that requires all Americans to have health insurance, either getting it from work or buying it on their own?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	51	47	2
	6/18-21/09	49	47	4

"Do you think Obama and the Democrats in Congress should try to change the health care reform bill so some Republicans in Congress will also support it, or should they try to pass health care reform without Republican support?"

		Change	Pass Without Republicans	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	71	25	4

"Who do you blame more for the negative tone of the health care debate: Obama and the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans in Congress, or both sides equally?"

		Obama and Democrats	Republicans	Both Sides Equally	Neither/ Other (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	17	31	49	2	1

"Would you support or oppose a law limiting the amount of money someone can collect if they win a lawsuit after being injured by bad medical care?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	63	34	3
	6/18-21/09	57	42	2

"In order to help pay for health care reform, would you support or oppose a federal tax on insurance companies when they sell high-cost health insurance policies with unusually high levels of benefits, known as Cadillac policies?"

		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	45	48	7

"In order to help pay for health care reform, would you support or oppose a federal tax on insurance companies when they sell high-cost health insurance policies with unusually high levels of benefits, known as Cadillac policies?" If support: "What if insurance companies respond to this tax by raising the price of those policies? In that case would you support or oppose this tax?" Combined responses

		Support	Oppose at First	Oppose if Prices Raised	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	9/10-12/09	23	48	23	7

CBS News Poll. Sept. 10, 2009. N=648 adults nationwide first polled by CBS Aug. 27-31, 2009, including 388 who watched the Sept. 9 presidential speech. MoE ą 4.

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling health care?"

		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	52	38	10
	Speech watchers	58	36	6

	8/27-31/09	40	47	13

"How much have you heard or read about what President Obama said in his speech on health care reform last night: a lot, some, or have you not heard much about it yet?"

		A Lot	Some	Not Much	None (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL	34	27	22	16	1
	Speech watchers	62	30	7	2	0

"Do you think Barack Obama has clearly explained what his plans for health care reform would mean, or hasn't he clearly explained that?"

		Has	Hasn't	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	42	43	15
	Speech watchers	58	39	3

	8/27-31/09	33	61	6

"In general, do you mostly agree or mostly disagree with the health care reform proposals Barack Obama laid out in his speech last night?"

		Mostly Agree	Mostly Disagree	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	Speech watchers	60	33	4	3

"In the next few years, if the proposals for reforming health care that President Obama laid out in his speech last night are adopted, do you think they will make health care in the United States better, make health care worse, or won't they have much impact one way or the other?"

		Better	Worse	Not Much Impact	Mixed (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL	43	25	18	1	13
	Speech watchers	53	27	16	1	3

"From what you've heard or read, do you think the health care reforms under consideration in Congress will mostly help you personally, will mostly hurt you personally, or don't you think they will have much of an effect on you personally?"

		Help	Hurt	Not Much Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	22	27	42	9
	Speech watchers	31	27	39	3

	8/27-31/09	19	30	45	6

"Do you think it's possible or not possible to expand health care coverage to more Americans without increasing the budget deficit?"

		Possible	Not Possible	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	42	52	6
	Speech watchers	49	47	4

	8/27-31/09	45	49	6

"Would you favor or oppose increased regulation on private health insurance companies, such as limiting the amount insurance companies can charge patients for out-of-pocket costs and limiting the ability of insurance companies to deny people coverage?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	73	21	6
	Speech watchers	77	17	6

"As long as the federal government provides subsidies or tax credits to low-income people, would you favor or oppose requiring all Americans to buy health insurance?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	54	41	5
	Speech watchers	56	39	5

"Would you favor or oppose the government offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan -- something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get -- that would compete with private health insurance plans?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	68	27	5
	Speech watchers	70	25	5

	8/27-31/09	57	35	8

"Do you think President Obama's proposals for reform would increase competition in the private insurance market, decrease competition, or would competition mostly stay the same?"

		Increase	Decrease	Stay the Same	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	ALL	46	19	26	9
	Speech watchers	49	18	28	5

"Do you think Barack Obama is trying to work with Republicans in Congress in order to reform the health care system, or isn't he?"

		Is Trying	Is Not Trying	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	65	29	6
	Speech watchers	68	31	1

"How likely do you think it is that Congress will pass and President Obama will sign into law a health care reform bill by the end of the year: very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?"

		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not at All Likely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	ALL	19	42	25	11	3
	Speech watchers	23	42	25	10	0

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Sept. 9, 2009. N=427 adults nationwide who watched the presidential speech. MoE ą 5. Per CNN: "Survey respondents were first interviewed as part of a random national sample on September 5-8, 2009. In those interviews, respondents indicated they planned to watch tonight's speech and were willing to be re-interviewed after the speech. Some questions were asked of each respondent both in the pre-speech questionnaire on September 5-8 and on tonight's questionnaire. Where applicable, results for tonight's respondents from both the pre-speech survey and the post-speech survey are reported. 18% of the respondents who participated in tonight's survey identified themselves as Republicans, 45% identified themselves as Democrats, and 37% identified themselves as independents."

"What was your overall reaction to President Obama's speech tonight: very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative or very negative?"

		Very Positive	Somewhat Positive	Somewhat Negative	Very Negative	Both/Mixed (vol.)
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/9/09	56	21	12	9	2

"Do you think the policies being proposed by Barack Obama will move the country in the right direction or the wrong direction?"

		Right Direction	Wrong Direction	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/9/09	70	27	3
	9/5-8/09	60	35	4

"From everything you have heard or read so far, do you favor or oppose Barack Obama's plan to reform health care?"

		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/9/09	67	29	4
	9/5-8/09	53	36	11

"Regardless of how you feel about Obama's plan, how likely do you think it is that Congress will pass most of his proposals: very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or very unlikely?"

		Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Somewhat Unlikely	Very Unlikely	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	9/9/09	20	55	17	7	1

"And regardless of how you feel about Obama's plan, do you think he clearly stated his goals for a health care bill, or do you think he could have made it clearer in his speech what he wants in a health care bill?"

		Clearly Stated	Could Have Made Clearer	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/9/09	72	26	2

Earlier polls on health policy

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