Most Americans back Democrats' plans for changing the nation's healthcare system, but they are divided almost evenly about whether they prefer Medicaid for all plans, a less extensive "Obamacare plus" plan that would bring the country closer to universal coverage, or plans backed by Republicans to reduce federal involvement in the nation's health system, a new poll shows.
In the survey, conducted by The New York Times, the Commonwealth Fund, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a panel of 2,500 adults was asked to pick their favorite plan. It turns out they were divided at about 30% each, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
By the numbers, people who favored Medicaid for all plans were less likely than the others to think the United States has the best healthcare system:
- Medicaid for all: 21% think the system is best.
- Republican plan: 55%.
- Obamacare plus: 29%.
They also believe they pay too much for insurance:
- Medicaid for all: 56%.
- Obamacare plus: 44%.
- Republican plan: 45%.
People favoring Medicaid for all were also the most worried about paying for care if they get sick:
- Medicaid for all: 63%.
- Obamacare plus: 51%.
- Republican plan: 33%.
"There's no question that the level of dissatisfaction leads to interest in big proposals," said Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health, who helped write the study.
The Republican proposals also would create large disruptions, and people who supported that plan seemed mostly satisfied, possibly because a Republican is in office at this time.
The poll included landline and cellphone interviews in English and Spanish and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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