Raleigh, N.C. – As the debate over how to reform the health care system continues in Washington, voters in North Carolina overwhelming support one specific proposal that has been talked about for years. A new poll released today by the Civitas Institute reveals voters overwhelming support reforming medical malpractice laws to limit damages.
In the live caller poll of 600 likely voters, 65 percent of voters support placing caps on the amount of money that can be awarded in medical malpractice suits. Only 28 percent were opposed. Seven percent were unsure.
“Voters recognize that out of control medical malpractice rates are driving up costs and chasing doctors from their profession,” said Civitas Institute executive director Francis De Luca. “If those looking to reform health care want a widely supported issue that will see an immediate impact in reducing costs and increasing access, then tort reform should be at the forefront of those discussions.”
Capping medical malpractice damages is universally supported across political parties with 58 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of unaffiliated voters in favor. Additionally, of those voters who say health care is the most important issue facing our state, 64 percent of them support tort reform.
“North Carolina adopting tort reform is a common sense, good first step to lead us down the path to fix our health care system that is overwhelmingly supported by the voters of North Carolina,” added De Luca.
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:
Do you support or oppose legislation being passed to place caps on the amount of money that can be awarded in medical malpractice suits?
Support – 65%
Oppose – 28%
Not Sure – 7%
Click here for full results and crosstabs.
This poll of 600 likely general election voters in North Carolina was conducted Jan. 19-21 by Tel Opinion Research of Arlington, 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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