Voters have strong feelings on health care issues
While the President and Congress move full speed ahead on an overhaul of the nation’s health care system, it appears the administration’s demand for higher taxes for universal healthcare coverage is not widely supported by voters in North Carolina.
North Carolina voters say that health care costs is their main concern and they are not willing to pay higher taxes or trust a government run insurance plan, according to the latest poll released today by the Civitas Institute.
According to the live caller poll of 600 voters, 61 percent of voters selected keeping cost affordable as their highest priority in any health care reform. 18 percent selected maintaining a high quality system while only 16 percent said universal coverage for all.
“While political leaders cite all kinds of reasons federal action is needed, at the end of the day North Carolina voters are most interested in keeping health care costs affordable,” said Civitas Institute executive director Francis De Luca. “Politicians would be wise to listen to what the voters are saying.”
When specifically queried on whether they would personally be willing to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance for all Americans, only 36 percent of respondents said yes while 56 percent said no, 9 percent were not sure.
Retirees and seniors over 66, those most familiar with the present government run health care system, were most likely to say no when asked about trusting their family health to a government run insurance plan. Both groups answered no to trusting a government run health insurance plan over a private insurance option by 60 and 61 percent respectively. Only the self-employed answered no at a higher percentage.
“When asked in the abstract whether health care reform is desirable, people will always say yes, but when the public learns that ‘reform’ may include higher taxes and government run health care, voters become much more skeptical” said Civitas Institute executive director Francis De Luca. “Voters are unwilling to pay higher taxes for health care “reform” and are dubious that a government run system will lead to better health outcomes.”
The Civitas Poll is the only monthly live-caller poll of critical issues facing North Carolina. For more polling information on Civitas polling see www.nccivitas.org/media/poll-results/.
Full text of questions:
When thinking about Health Care Reform, what should be the highest priority: ensuring universal coverage for all Americans, maintaining a high quality health care system or keeping health care costs affordable?
- Universal Coverage for All – 16%
- High Quality System – 18%
- Keep Costs Affordable – 61%
- Not Sure – 4%
Would you personally be willing to pay higher taxes to provide health insurance for all Americans?
- Yes – 36%
- No – 56%
- Not Sure – 9%
Given your knowledge of Medicaid and other government sponsored health care programs, would you entrust your health or your family’s health to a government run health insurance plan over a private insurance option?
- Yes – 29%
- No – 56%
- Not Sure – 9%
Click here for full results and crosstabs.
The study of 600 registered voters was conducted July14-17, 2009 by Tel Opinion Research of Alexandria, Virginia. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in North Carolina. For purposes of this study, voters we interviewed had to have voted in either the 2004, 2006 or 2008 general elections or were newly registered voters since 2008.
The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 600 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-4% of the “True Values.” True Values refer to the results obtained if it were possible to interview every person in North Carolina who had voted in either the 2004, 2006 or 2008 general elections or were newly registered voters since 2008.
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