Poll: Support rebounding for health overhaul

Published: September 29, 2009
Political Intelligence
By Foon Rhee

The latest health care poll is also the most recent to suggest that the battering the Democratic bills took during the protests and shouting that met August congressional town halls has dissipated as the focus returned to Capitol Hill.

According to the sixth tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 57 percent of Americans believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever, up from 53 percent in August. The proportion of Americans who believe their families would be better off after an overhaul is up six percentage points to 42 percent and the proportion who think that the country would be better off is up eight points to 53 percent.

Also according to the survey, most Americans support the principles at the core of the bills supported by President Obama and congressional Democrats, including a requirement that individuals obtain coverage (68 percent), a mandate that most employers offer coverage (67 percent), and an expansion of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (82 percent).

Majorities also back "having health insurance companies pay a fee based on how much business they have” and “having health insurance companies pay a tax for offering very expensive policies,” according to Kaiser.

The Kaiser poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, was conducted Sept. 11-18 -- just after Obama gave a nationally televised address to Congress to lay out what he wanted in a health care bill. He has kept up the drumbeat for reform since with rallies and repeated TV appearances.

Other polls have also shown rebounding support for reform after the drumbeat of criticism led by conservative activists and Republicans in August drove down the numbers.