Giving People What They Want on Health Care -- Even Republicans

categories: Enemies of Reform, Public Plan

Published June 20, 2009 @ 08:43PM PT

Keep in mind that I am notoriously skeptical about using public polling to define policy. I think it's the role of leaders and public servants to come up with ways to describe the best policy and generate support for it, not generate policy by figuring out where support is. But the health care poll by the NY Times out today should give both those lining up to oppose the effort in Congress and those looking to compromise on the public health insurance option pause. The simple truth is people may be wary about more government intervention in health care, but they think it’s necessary – and are willing to personally sacrifice to get there.

The paradoxical bottom line is that people believe health care needs to be overhauled, even if their own coverage is pretty good: “While 85 percent of respondents said the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, 77 percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of their own care.” That’s both the risk and the opportunity of the current moment. In the past, people have been afraid of losing the quality that they currently enjoy, and enemies of reform have been able to stoke those fears to turn them against universal health care. But the fascinating thing to me is that most people seem to be convinced their own quality of care will go down – only 36% think that their own quality of care won’t go down too badly or not at all, and 32% think their access to medical tests and treatments will be limited post-reform. Yet they’re convinced that health care reform needs to happen all the same. Not only that, they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is – 57% would pay higher taxes, up to $500 a year.

Finally, there’s the public health insurance option – which seems to only be controversial on TV or in the halls of the Senate. It is completely uncontroversial outside the Beltway. The poll question verbatim is “Would you favor or oppose the government’s offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan like Medicare that would compete with private health insurers?” 72% favor it. 73% of Independents favor it. And a shocking 50% of Republicans favor it (39% oppose it). Speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

A poll is only a snapshot in time. After all, we had 46 million uninsured and a more favorable economy in 2007, but only 30% trusted the government to do a better job managing health care. In the same poll, that number is up to 50%, and you have to think the transition from one President to another has a lot to do with that number.

Put another way, people think their health care is OK, but that the system we have is so intolerable that they’re willing to pay more in taxes, accept a dip in quality, and openly welcome a “government-run” public health insurance option if it means more people were insured and costs were controlled. That’s very bad news for the forces of the status quo…

Looks like they might need a new script.

Share this Post

Comments (11)

To me, the issue is corporations buying our representatives votes. Then they knowingley lie to us and deprive us of universal health care for all Americans. It is time to end the selling of our votes in Washington....

http://www.change.org/actions/view/step_one_end_special_interest_in_washington

TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT SELLING OUR VOTE!!

Cherokee Fred Jesus

Posted by Cherokee Fred Jesus on 06/21/2009 @ 01:41PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Cherokee Fred
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
This is what most I talked to in my community thinks of the Republican Party and that is shut-up! The Republican party has shown nothing but how to look stupid and show how to act like idiots. I would be ashamed to say I was a Republican today. Sadly this is just there way again to show how stupid they are on this subject of health care. When these so call Republicans see that one day no one will be able to afford health care maybe they will finally WORK for there pay.

Posted by Debra Cline on 06/21/2009 @ 03:08PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
Republicans are oligarchs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkqb1pQrCcg

Posted by Martin Bring on 06/22/2009 @ 10:13AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Debra
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
hm. I will openly admit I personally don't pay for insurance. but after doing research for a term paper about the subject, I would confidently argue the government would do much worse.

the $500 tax ceiling mentioned is what stuck out to me. It may start at something like that, but it would soon add up to much more.

Posted by A W on 06/21/2009 @ 04:03PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
The top 10 insurance companies pay their CEOs an average of 11 million a year. 30,000 per DAY. The average American doesn't make that in a year. The insurance system is full of profit and inefficient. My brother, who is self-employed, pays 600 per month for an individual policy with a high deductible. My sister's family pays more than 1000 per month. The government could do much better. Also, the insurance company bureaucrats who deny or delay treatment are often on bonus systems based on the number of denials they issue. No, we need a better way.

Posted by alison victoria on 06/22/2009 @ 12:22PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- 1 person likes this comment. Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by A
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
It is not just a moral disgrace and economic lunacy that 46 millions of Americans are not insured and 106 million underinsured, it is also that the employer-based system without the guaranteed universally accessible Public Option makes everybody (and their families), insured or not, potentailly at the brink of a financial ruin in the case they loose job. Peple feel anxiety about this and this may explain the paradox.

Posted by Petar Simic on 06/21/2009 @ 06:46PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 2 people like this comment. Like
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Petar
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
It is disgraceful that those opposed to real reform are framing their arguments in myths and scare tactics. I have 15 years experience as a healthcare financial manager and wanted to refute some of these myths--Healthcare reform: 3 myths

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6x2x0RYErE&feature=channel

There has been a lot of discussion over the issue of the uninsured over the past few years and that is great, because we know that over 18,000 people die each year because they are uninsured. But there is another group of Americans in trouble: the insured. I can't tell you how it infuriates me to hear anti-reformers scaring us about "a government bureaucrat will delay or deny treatments." What do they think Insurance bureaucrats have been doing for years? I saw several cases in which people died because their insurance companies inappropriately denied treatment. This is the story of one of those people who, sadly, cannot tell his own story.

The faces of healthcare: Charles Edwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3so7EdKpCY&feature=channel

Posted by alison victoria on 06/22/2009 @ 06:10AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- 2 people like this comment. Like
Good job!

Posted by Martin Bring on 06/22/2009 @ 11:11AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Thanks!

Posted by alison victoria on 06/22/2009 @ 11:21AM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by alison
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply
Alison, I think I love you!

Posted by Carrie Lachapelle on 06/22/2009 @ 09:19PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Reply
- Like
Well, thanks!

Posted by alison victoria on 06/22/2009 @ 09:44PM PT
- Report close
  You must be signed in to report content.
- Like
Reply to thread
For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment. In the process we will also create a Change.org account for you so you can track this and future conversations. Don't worry - we won't spam you. We just want to promote constructive dialogue and find that people are more respectful when they are not anonymous.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

reply to thread started by by Carrie
Check Spelling
- Email me when there are new posts to this thread
- Comment Policy
Cancel Reply

Add a Comment

For your comment to be published, you will need to confirm your email address after submitting your comment.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Create Password:

Comment

Check Spelling

Email me when there are new posts to this thread
Comment Policy

Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the ideas covered in the posts. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; that contain ad hominem attacks; or that are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion.

Author

Tim has been an online organizer and blogger on health care policy for the Obama for America campaign (during the primaries) and currently for the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, a labor union for intern and resident doctors. Views expressed here are Tim's, and don't represent the positions of CIR or SEIU.