Strong Support for Health Care Reform Grows Out of Consumer Dissatisfaction
With a new president and a new Congress declaring that the time has come to reform the American healthcare system, at least one recent study indicates a shift in public opinion toward support for an overhaul of the health care system and a growing consensus for universal health care.
Eight in 10 Americans favor fundamental changes to improve quality or a complete rebuild of outdated delivery systems. Among those surveyed, there is broad agreement, regardless of socioeconomics, insurance status and political differences, that health care reform should be a national priority. Respondents want reform to address quality, access and costs, according to this report released last summer, Public Views on U.S. Health System Organization: A Call for New Directions, sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund.
If there was a big surprise, it was the finding that a significant number of people are unhappy with their own health care. A majority of insured (70%) and uninsured (80%) respondents in the survey complained about these issues:
