The Future of Health Care: Where Does the Bipartisan Path Lead? July 25, 2018
Health Care Priorities
SUPPORT FOR BIPARTISAN REFORM CROSSES PARTY AND IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDES Do you support or oppose bipartisan efforts and compromises on health care reform? Strongly Support Somewhat Support Don't Know/No Opinion Somewhat Oppose Strongly Oppose Total 20% 28% 3 11% Democrats 22% 2 32% Liberal Democrats 2 3 22% Non-Liberal Democrats 18% 1 4 10% Independents 21% 53% Republicans 24% 32% 30% 10% 4% Conservative Republicans 24% 3 2 Non-Conservative Republicans 23% 24% 38%
DEMOCRATS BIGGEST CONCERN IN HEALTH CARE REFORM IS ACCESS TO COVERAGE, REPUBLICANS IS LOWERING COSTS AND LIMITING GOVERNMENT What should be Congress biggest priority for the health care system? Total Democrats Independents Republicans Making sure that everyone has health insurance coverage Lowering health insurance premiums Lowering out-of-pocket costs Making sure that low-income families have help in paying for care Limiting government involvement in health care Don't Know / No Opinion 28% 23% 14% 18% 1 2 1 1 1 20% 1 1 18% 11% 24% 1 43%
WHEN ASKED ABOUT COST, ALL RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT WE SPEND TOO MUCH ON HEALTH CARE Do you agree or disagree: Individuals and families have to pay too much for health care. Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Don't Know/No Opinion Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Democrats Independents Republicans 63% 6 5 63% 20% 23% 22% 1 2 4% 4% Do you agree or disagree: Overall, Americans spend too much on health care. Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Don't Know/No Opinion Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree Total 5 2 Democrats 58% 2 4% Independents 48% 24% 1 4% Republicans 5 2
Finding Common Ground on Health Care Policies
MORE APPEAR OPEN TO A MARKET-DRIVEN APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE Which of the following statements come closest to your views on how to improve health care? The federal government should take the lead role in making sure health care is affordable through regulations and by placing limits on the prices that can be charged for medical services and products. Don't Know / No Opinion Health care would be better and less expensive if it operated more like other markets in our economy, with consumers making more decisions. The government would help people get insurance, but consumers would choose how much they pay based on the provider Total Democrats Liberal Democrats Non-Liberal Democrats Independents Republicans Conservative Republicans Non-Conservative Republicans 30% 3 40% 30% 2 41% 52% 5 14% 32% 1 8% 4% 61% 70% 48% 40% 3 4 44% 38%
HOWEVER, DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS WOULD RATHER REFORM THE ACA THAN SWITCH TO A MORE MARKET-DRIVEN SYSTEM Which approach to changing health care in America are you most comfortable with? Total Democrats Independents Republicans Reforming the Affordable Care Act to lower premiums and costsharing for those without employer coverage, made affordable through more generous tax credits and greater cost containment Implementing a market-driven approach with less government involvement where consumers pay more when they elect to get care from less expensive providers Moving to a single-payer system similar to the Medicare program Privatizing the health care market including Medicare and Medicaid programs Don't Know / No Opinion 2 24% 24% 21% 1 32% 1 2 11% 11% 22% 1 1 3 38%
FEW ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE HIGHER COSTS AND LACK OF COVERAGE ASSOCIATED WITH A MARKET-DRIVEN APPROACH How willing would you be to support a market-driven approach to health care, with private insurance and less government involvement if Total Dem. Indep. Rep. % Willing 54 51 39 67 49 59 38 47 47 38 34 63 27 27 19 34 22 18 16 30 16 15 13 20 More responsibility for consumers to choose their insurance plans and providers, and to pay more themselves when choosing more expensive options A requirement that those who earn higher incomes must pay higher deductibles before insurance covers the cost of their care Full reliance on competition and markets among insurers and providers of services to control costs rather than government regulation A requirement that everyone but the very poor must contribute to a health insurance premium, which may mean some people will stay uninsured because of the cost Less regulation of insurance plans, which could mean fewer required benefits and higher premiums for older and less healthy consumers Permission for health insurance companies to set deductibles as high as $10,000 per year
COST-AVERSION ALSO HOLDS MANY BACK FROM SUPPORTING A SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM How willing would you be to support a universal, single-payer health care system run by the US government that ensured every person had generous health coverage with lower out-of-pocket costs if Total Dem. Indep. Rep. % Willing 66 74 53 64 59 72 49 53 Government setting price limits for health care providers and drug manufacturers to constrain program costs Substantial increase in taxes of Americans with incomes over $250,000 39 52 28 33 Increases in taxes by $50 a month 34 44 25 27 Government control of all aspects of program administration, including defining the insurance benefits that are covered and setting rules on how they are administered 32 40 26 27 Elimination of employer-based coverage 22 31 14 18 Increases in taxes by over $100 a month
Controlling Health Care Costs
DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT, MOST LOOK TO THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL COSTS Some say that federal spending on major health care programs including Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and health insurance subsidy payments is expected to double in the next 10 years to $2 trillion, due to our country s aging population and the rising costs of health care. Furthermore, in just eight years, the Medicare program is expected to run short of the funds needed to pay for all the health care costs for people enrolled in the program. Knowing this, what do you believe the federal government should do Total Democrats Independents Republicans Increase the government's role in promoting lower prices for health care goods and services Increase taxes on certain goods such as tobacco, sugar beverages, medical marijuana Increase the government's role in establishing payment systems for health care providers Increase the government's role in setting prices for health care goods and services Reduce federal payments to private health insurance plans 3 44% 32% 32% 31% 40% 22% 28% 2 31% 1 23% 21% 2 18% 1 1 14% 18%
HOWEVER, LITTLE SUPPORT FOR CONVENTIONAL WAYS THAT GOVERNMENT CONTROLS COSTS, BY CUTTING BENEFITS OR RAISING CONSUMER COSTS Some say that federal spending on major health care programs including Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and health insurance subsidy payments is expected to double in the next 10 years to $2 trillion, due to our country s aging population and the rising costs of health care. Furthermore, in just eight years, the Medicare program is expected to run short of the funds needed to pay for all the health care costs for people enrolled in the program. Knowing this, what do you believe the federal government should do Total Democrats Independents Republicans Increase Medicare payroll tax contributions Raise the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 67 Reduce benefits covered under ACA Marketplace plans Have private sector takeover of health care Cap the total amount spent on Medicaid by the federal government 8% 8% 1 1 1 1 22%
FEW ARE WILLING TO EMBRACE FEDERAL TAX INCREASES OR BENEFIT CUTS Some say that federal spending on major health care programs including Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and health insurance subsidy payments is expected to double in the next 10 years to $2 trillion, due to our country s aging population and the rising costs of health care. Furthermore, in just eight years, the Medicare program is expected to run short of the funds needed to pay for all the health care costs for people enrolled in the program. Knowing this, what do you believe the federal government should do Total Democrats Independents Republicans Increase federal taxes Have government takeover of health care Reduce benefits covered under Medicare Increase Medicare Part B premiums Don't Know / No Opinion 10% 10% 8% 4% 1 1 14% 18% 33%