Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease

1
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease
A presentation on findings from a nationwide
survey of 1,500 likely voters nationwide

October 2008
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

1
2
Methodology

• Lake Research Partners and Voter/Consumer
  Research designed and administered this survey,
  which was conducted by phone using professional
  interviewers. The survey reached a total of
  1,500 likely voters nationwide. The survey was
  conducted from October 5-9, 2008.
• Telephone numbers were drawn from a listed
  random digit dialing (RDD) sample. Data were
  weighted slightly by gender, race, party
  identification, age, and region to reflect the
  attributes of this universe. The margin of error
  for the full sample is /-2.5.

Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

2
3
Key Findings
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

3
4
Key Findings
While the economy is the top presidential voting
issue, health care is the top issue of personal
concern to voters today.   Additionally, health
care is a significant voting issue in the
upcoming presidential elections. Women,
including independent women, have been
particularly focused on health care as a voting
issue and now men have followed.
Voters have an enormous degree of familiarity wi
th chronic disease and the majority feel these
diseases are preventable. Voters feel the issu
e of chronic disease is being largely ignored by
people running for office. Surprisingly, treat
ing and preventing chronic disease have moved to
the top of voters health care agenda. Voters
identify catching and treating chronic disease
and preventive care as top methods of improving
health care, ahead of other ideas like investing
in medical technology and equipment, making
medical records electronic instead of paper
files, and limiting medical malpractice
lawsuits. A strong majority of voters say earli
er prevention and better control of chronic
disease is a major priority for health care
reform. Women express particular intensity.
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

4
5
The economy is the top voting issue in this
years presidential election. Health care comes
in second.
Now I am going to read you a list of concerns
that some people have mentioned. Please tell me
which one of these will be MOST important to you
personally in the upcoming presidential election.
Please tell me which one of these will be SECOND
most important to you personally in the upcoming
presidential election.
Percent Saying Most or Second Most Important
Voting Issue
Men and women rank the issues similarly.
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

5
6
Health care is the top personal concern to
voters even ahead of jobs and the rising costs
of consumer goods.
Now Im going to read you some problems you and
your family may face. Please listen carefully,
then tell me which ONE of these you personally
worry the most about? Now from the same list,
please tell me which ONE of these you personally
worry about second most?
Additional concerns government assistance (3
top/second concern), credit card debt (3),
nursing home care (1).
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

6
7
Men and women rank the issues similarly.
Percent Saying Top or Second Concern
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

7
8
Increasing premiums and co-pays tops the list of
health care worries.
And thinking specifically about health care, what
are you personally worried about the MOST? And
what are you personally worried about the SECOND
most?
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

8
9
Men and women rank the issues similarly.
Percent Saying Worried about Most or Second Most
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

9
10
Men are more likely to pick health care costs as
the one thing they would improve, over health
care quality or access. Women are more divided
between costs and access.
f you could do something to improve just one of
these, which would it be (RANDOMIZE) _Do
something to improve the QUALITY of health care
so people receive better care _Do something to
improve the COST of health care, making it more
affordable _Do something about ACCESS to care, so
more people have insurance and get the care they
need
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

10
11
Nearly two thirds of voters say they favor
providing access to affordable, quality health
care for all Americans even if it means a major
role for the federal government or a tax increase.
Do you favor or oppose providing access to
affordable, quality health care for all Americans
even if it means a major role for the federal
government? Do you favor or oppose providing acc
ess to affordable, quality health care for all
Americans even if it means raising your taxes?
Even if it means a major role for the federal
government
Even if it means raising your taxes
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

11
12
The majority of voters say health care will be
one of their top voting issues this year. Women
place greater importance on health care as a
voting issue 62 percent of women to 54 percent
of men say this is the major issue or one of the
major issues.
Please tell me how important health care is to
you personally in voting in this year's
presidential election. Is health care the major
issue you will be voting on, one of the major
issues, somewhat of an issue, not really an
issue, or not at all an issue you will be voting
on?
Among independent women 65 say this is the
major issue or one of the major issues.
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

12
13
When asked to consider specific measures to
improve health care, voters place catching and
treating chronic disease at the top.
Im going to read you some things that are being
discussed to improve health care. For each one,
please tell me if it would improve health care in
America a lot, somewhat, a little, or not much at
all.
Catch and treat chronic disease
Improve preventive care for people at high risk
of chronic disease
Make health care insurance portable
Go after fraud in Medicare and Medicaid
Create walk-in care facilities that provide low
cost care
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

13
14
Voters also express strong intensity around
encouraging prevention and healthier lifestyles.
Im going to read you some things that are being
discussed to improve health care. For each one,
please tell me if it would improve health care in
America a lot, somewhat, a little, or not much at
all.
Encourage prevention and healthier lifestyles
Develop an affordable long-term care system
Let small businesses pool together to purchase
health insurance
Lower hospital charges
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

14
15
Majorities support each of the proposals tested.
Percent Saying A lot (Percent saying A
lot/some)
Prevent racial/gender disparities in
treatment,
insurance, and diagnosis Prevent denial of cover
age for preexisting conditions
Streamline the paperwork doctors and hospitals
complete Limit insurance company profits Lower
co-payments Better fund programs to provide care
to low income families Lower doctor visit charg
e Work to cover the uninsured Invest in medical
technology and equipment Make medical records e
lectronic instead of paper files
Limit medical malpractice lawsuits
53 (81)
52 (80)
51 (80)
50 (75)
50 (78)
49 (85)
49 (79)
47 (79)
46 (80)
44 (72)
41 (71)
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

15
16
A majority of six in ten voters say that people
running for office only address chronic disease a
little or not at all.
Has the issue of chronic disease been addressed
by people running for office a lot, some, not
very much, or not at all?
Total
Men
Women
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

16
17
Voters have an enormous degree of familiarity
with chronic disease and the majority feel these
diseases are preventable.
Are you familiar with what are defined as chronic
diseases or are you not familiar with this term?
Do you know someone who has a chronic diseases or
do you have one yourself?
62 percent of voters believe chronic disease is
preventable
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

17
18
Three quarters of voters overall say earlier
prevention and better control of chronic disease
is a major priority for health care reform. Women
voice somewhat more intensity.
Chronic diseases are diseases that are
long-lasting or reoccur, like Diabetes, Asthma,
Heart Disease, Cancer, and High Blood Pressure.
Thinking about Chronic Disease, do you think that
earlier prevention and better control of chronic
disease is the top priority for health care
reform, one of the top priorities, somewhat of a
priority, not really a priority, or not a
priority at all?
Among voters overall, 74 percent say earlier
prevention and better control of chronic disease
is a top priority (41 percent the top priority,
33 percent one of the top priorities).
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

18
19
Voters believe early diagnosis and treatment and
an emphasis on prevention are the best ways to
prevent and reduce Chronic Disease.
Of the following, which do you think is the best
ONE for preventing and reducing Chronic Disease?
Of this same list, what is the
next best way to prevent and reduce Chronic
Disease?
Percent Saying Best of Second Best
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

19
20
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease
A presentation on findings from a nationwide
survey of 1,500 likely voters nationwide

October 2008
Lake Research Partners Voter/Consumer Research

20