Politics

USA TODAY/Gallup Poll Finds Americans Want Quality, Affordable Health Care This Year

By Karina

A new USA TODAY/Gallup poll finds Americans support an solution for quality affordable health care. The survey?s findings add new urgency to Congressional health care reform efforts.

The poll finds more than 8 in 10 of those surveyed say it’s ?extremely? or ?very important? that the legislation make health insurance more affordable.

Without reform, the cost of health care for the average family of four is projected to rise $1,800 every year for years to come.

Proposed draft legislation in the House will lower costs to individuals and families with:

No more co-pays or deductibles for preventive care

No more rate increases for pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation

An annual cap on your out-of-pocket expenses

Group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan

Guaranteed, affordable oral, hearing, and vision care for your kids

More findings:

By a 23 point margin, 56%-33%, those surveyed endorse the idea of enacting major health care reform this year. Half call it ?extremely? or ?very important? to them personally.

?The idea of increasing income taxes on upper-income Americans ? is backed by 58%.?

Six of 10 favor the idea of shared responsibility, requiring employers to provide health insurance to their workers or pay a fee to the government instead.

By a 3 to 1 margin, more Americans trust President Obama and congressional Democrats ?most when it comes to changing health care;? only 10% choose congressional Republicans.

Full post as published by The Gavel on July 14, 2009 (boomark / email).