Americans Views on Health Care Policy

1
Americans Views on Health Care Policy
Robert J. Blendon, Sc.D. Professor of Health
Policy and Political Analysis Harvard School of
Public HealthKennedy School of Government
2
States Ideology and Health Policy
Most Conservative Most Liberal (1)
Mississippi (1) Vermont (2) North Dakota (2)
Massachusetts (3) Oklahoma (3) Rhode Island
(4) Utah (4) New York (5) South Carolina (5)
New Jersey
J. McIver, R. Erikson, and G Wright, Public
Opinion and Public Policy in Temporal
Perspective A View from the States. Presented
at State Politics and Policy Conference, College
Station, TX (March 2001).
3
Public Views on Health Care Policy

• Priorities
• Values
• Changing the health system
• Spending
• Costs
• Taxes
• Uninsured
• Regulations

4
Most Important Issues for Government to Address
Percent saying issue is one of two most important
December 2001
August 2003
1. Economy/Jobs 39 2. War/Defense 33 3.
Terrorism 13 4. Health care 11 (excluding
Medicare) 5. Education 8 6. Taxes 7
1. War/Defense 48 2. Economy/Jobs 39
3. Terrorism 31 4. Education
12 5. Taxes 6 6. Health Care
5
Note May sum to more than 100 because each
respondent was asked to give up to two different
answers.
Harris Interactive polls, December 2001, August
2003.
5
Americans Perceptions of the Most Important
Issues for the Government to Address
naming health care as one of the two most
important issues
55
11
Aug-03
Harris Interactive Polls, 1982-2003.
6
Most Important Issues in Deciding 2002
Congressional Vote, by Party
(Open-ended question/verbatim responses recorded)
Republicans
Democrats
1. Economy/Jobs 26 2. Education 14 3. Health
care/Medicare 10 4. Terrorism/War 6 5. Taxes 4
1. Economy/Jobs 18 2. Taxes 16 3.
Education 14 4. Terrorism/War 9 5. Health
Care/Medicare 8
Source NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Kennedy
School of Government poll, October 2002 (likely
voters).
7
Most Important Health Care Issue
Cost Uninsured Quality Dont know
44 38 16 2
Source Harvard School of Public Health/Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation/ICR poll, May-June 2003.
8
Americans Views of the Most Important Health
Issues for Government to Address, 2003
saying the issue is one of the two most
important health issues for government to address
HSPH/RWJF/ICR poll (May/June 2003)
9
General Policy Values on the Roles of Government
The government should be smaller, with fewer
servicesa The government has gone too far in
regulating business and interfering with the
free-enterprise systemb The federal government
should do everything possible to improve the to
improve the standard of living of all Americansa
46 62 56
Source Washington Post/Kaiser Family
Foundation/Harvard University polls (a)
August-September 2002, (b) October 2000
(registered voters).
10
Health Policy Values
The government should do whatever is necessary
to see that everyone gets the medical care they
needa Federal government should assume larger
role in assuring access to affordable health
careb Making sure that minorities have health
care services equal in quality to whites is
responsibility of the federal governmentc
69 73 62
Source (a) Harris Interactive poll,
February/March 2003 (b) NPR/Kaiser Family
Foundation/Kennedy School of Government poll,
May-June 2000 (c) Washington Post/Kaiser Family
Foundation/Harvard University poll, March-April
2001.
11
Public Attitudes Towards the Health Care System
saying so much wrong it needs to be rebuilt
Harris Interactive pols, 1982-2003.
12
Americans Dissatisfaction with the State of the
Nation in Two Areas
The nations system of improving and protecting
the publics health
Total
Total
40
The availability and affordability of health care
66
Total
Source Harvard School of Public Health/Robert
Wood Johnson/ICR poll, May-June 2003.
13
Dissatisfaction with the Availability and
Affordability of Health Care
saying not at all satisfied
Source Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll (January 1993)
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation/ICR polls (2001, 2003).
14
Americans Views on Spending to Improve and
Protect the Nations Health
Spending too little Spending about right
amount Spending too much Dont know
74 21 2 1
Source General Social Survey, 2002.
15
Top Priorities for Future Economic Growth
saying 1st and 2nd priority
Harris Interactive polls July 2003.
16
Publics Perception of Reasonableness of Prices
of Selected Products and Services
saying unreasonable
Harris Interactive poll, April 2003.
17
Publics Views of Top Reasons for Increased
Health Care Spending
saying two top contributors to increased
spending
Harris Interactive polls, April 2003.
18
Publics Views on Passing Law to Provide
Insurance for Most Uninsured Americans
saying extremely/very important to pass a law
in next year to provide health insurance to most
Americans
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation/ICR poll, May-June, 2003.
19
The Government Should Do Whatever Is Necessary,
Whatever It Costs in Taxes, To See That Everyone
Gets the Medical Care They Need
saying
Harris Interactive (2003).
20
Americans Views on What Government Should Do
About the Uninsured
Percent saying the government should...
Make a major effort to provide insurance, may
require a tax increase to pay for it Make limited
effort to provide insurance for some of the
uninsured, would mean more government
spending Keep things the way they are Dont
know/Refused
47 37 13 3
Source Harvard School of Public Health/Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation/ICR poll, May-June 2003.
21
Public Views on the New Tax Cut
New tax cut was a good thing New tax cut was a
bad thing Not sure
Source Harris Interactive poll, June 2003.
22
Publics Views on Different Ways to Guarantee
Health Insurance for More Americans
favoring
Expanding state government programs for
low-income people
Requiring businesses to offer private health
insurance for employees
Offering uninsured tax deductions, credits, other
assistance
National health care plan, financed by taxpayers,
insurance from single government plan
Harvard School of Public Health/Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation/ICR poll, May-June, 2003.
23
Publics Views of Government Regulation of
Various Industries
saying need more regulation
Harris Interactive polls, April 2003.
24
Public Support for Federal Government Price
Controls of Various Products and Services
saying favor
Harris Interactive polls, April 2003.
25
Publics Perception of US Drug Prices vs. Canada
and Western Europe
saying
41
Harris Interactive polls, April 2003.
26
Public Views on Malpractice Reform
saying
Very important cause of health costsa
Too many lawsuitsb
Favor limits on non-financial costsb
Favor 250,000 limitsc
Favor expert/medical special courtsc
(a) KFF/HSPH poll, February 2003 (b) Gallup
poll, January 2003 (c) Harris Interactive poll,
March 2003.