Press Release issued by Pennsylvanians United for Affordable Healthcare
October 1, 2007
Contact: Dan Fee 1-866-439-7422
New Poll Reveals Strong Public Support for
“Prescription for Pennsylvania”
Majority of Voters Support Fair Share Assessment, Taxes on Tobacco to Expand Access to Care
PHILADELPHIA: The day before the campaign to pass “Cover All Pennsylvanians” kicks off with a rally in the Harrisburg rotunda, a new poll released today reveals widespread concern about the rising costs of healthcare and strong public support for Governor Edward G. Rendell’s “Prescription for Pennsylvania.”
The new poll, sponsored by Pennsylvanians United for Affordable Healthcare and conducted by Global Strategy Group in partnership with Susquehanna Polling and Research, surveyed 809 Pennsylvania voters over September 11-17, 2007. It has a margin of error is +/- 3.4%
“This poll shows that people don’t believe letting the open, private market continue to dictate health care premiums is getting the job done, and are therefore not opposed to more government involvement if it helps stabilize prices for consumers in the long run and at the same time, increases quality affordable care for the uninsured,” said Jim Lee, the president of Susquehanna Polling and Research.
Among the key findings in the poll are:
- 90% of voters are “concerned” about the “rising cost of health care premiums”, with 66% of voters saying they are “very concerned” about them.
- 65% of voters support increasing taxes on tobacco to pay for expanded health care.
- 60% of voters support charging businesses “a 3 percent payroll tax” if they do not provide insurance for employees.
- 49% of voters think the “government should regulate the cost of health insurance premiums in the same way they regulate premiums for homeowners and automobile insurance.” Only 35 percent of voters believe the market should continue to dictate costs.
- The group most blamed for the problems in the current health care system is insurance companies (39% of all respondents).
- The top two “most important health care issues” are “The cost of health care insurance paid by employers and individuals (23%) and the number of people with no health insurance coverage (22%)
- More than twice as many voters are likely to support a candidate who supports the “Prescription for Pennsylvania” (34%) as they are to support one who opposes it (16%).
Voters believe “increasing access to affordable health insurance” is one of the two most important issues for legislators to deal with, tied at 21% with “reducing property taxes”.
Perhaps most importantly, the poll reveals strong support for the “Prescription for Pennsylvania” with 63% of voters backing the proposal after hearing about the program and criticism of it by opponents.
Said Jef Pollock, the president of Global Strategy Group, “It’s clear that voters are desperate for action from lawmakers on health care. They overwhelmingly support the Governor’s plan, and they continue to support it even after we make some pretty serious arguments against it.”
This new poll comes just weeks after the release of a poll by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry that reported the number one issue for business owners is “controlling the costs of health care” and that business owners consider high costs of healthcare to be the number one deterrent to doing business in Pennsylvania. [Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, 9/10/07]
And the poll is being released just days after a new report by Hewitt Associates predicted health care costs to rise by 8.9% next year – the largest jump this decade -- with employees bearing the brunt of the hike. In 2007, health care costs jumped by 5.3%, double the rate of inflation.
In January, Governor Rendell proposed “The Prescription for Pennsylvania”, a comprehensive plan to lower the costs of healthcare, improve its quality and expand coverage. This spring, the Legislature passed pieces of the plan, including provisions that will reduce the costs of health care by reducing the number of medical errors and expanding the role of nurses in providing low cost care. But the Legislature has yet to address the Governor’s proposals to lower health care costs for small businesses and make affordable coverage available to everyone through Cover All Pennsylvanians, the centerpiece of his plan.
On October 2, 2007, Governor Rendell will be joined by hundreds of Pennsylvanians at a rally in the Capitol rotunda to kick off the campaign to pass CAP. Next week, beginning October 9th, the Governor will travel across Pennsylvania to increase awareness of his plan and build support for it. As the poll show, when voters know about the “Prescription for Pennsylvania”, they support it.
Pennsylvanians United for Affordable Healthcare (PUAHC) is a 501(c)(4) membership organization dedicated to enacting Governor Rendell’s Prescription for Pennsylvania. PUAHC is a diverse coalition comprised of concerned individuals, local leaders and organizations united in the belief that for Pennsylvania to move forward, we need to reform our healthcare system, improving quality, lowering costs and expanding coverage. For more information, please visit www.insurepanow.org.
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