Polls & Research

Americans Ponder National Health Plan

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in the United States are divided over a proposed change to their medical services, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 42 per cent of respondents oppose a single payer national health plan overseen by the federal government, while 33 per cent are in favour.

Health care in the U.S. is based on a system of benefits provided by employers, as well as the Medicare and Medicaid programs which allocate health insurance for the elderly, disabled and poor. Around 45 million Americans are uninsured. 66 per cent of respondents believe the nation's health insurance problems are very serious.

American voters renewed the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate in November 2006. On Jan. 4, the Democratic Party took control of the lower house for the first time since 1994, with 233 lawmakers. A victory for the Democratic candidates for the Senate in Montana and Virginia also gave the party a majority in the upper house.

Democratic California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House. Last month, Pelosi vowed to work to "make health care more affordable for all Americans, and we will begin by fixing the Medicare prescription drug program, putting seniors first by negotiating lower drug prices."

In his Feb. 17 radio address, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "Health care costs are rising rapidly, more than twice as fast as wages. These rising costs are driving up the price of health insurance and making it harder for working families to afford coverage. These rising costs also make it harder for small businesses to offer health coverage to their employees. We must address these rising costs so that more Americans can afford basic private health insurance."

Polling Data

Do you favour or oppose a single payer national health plan overseen by the federal government?

How serious are the nation's health insurance problems?