Poll: Most Americans Support Wider Health Insurance Coverage
More than three-fourths of U.S adults support proposals to expand access to health insurance, such as government subsidies for individuals without access to employer-sponsored coverage and tax credits to help individuals purchase coverage, according to a Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive survey, the Wall Street Journal Online reports.
The online survey, conducted from April 13 through April 17, included responses from a representative sample of 2,021 adults. The survey found that half of respondents with health insurance have concerns about the cost.
In addition, half of respondents with health insurance have concerns that they will lose part or all of their coverage because of costs, the survey found. According to the survey, about 26% of respondents said they would support a tax increase to cover the cost of an expansion of Medicare or Medicaid.
The survey also found that 74% of respondents support proposals under consideration in California, Illinois and other states that would require all employers to provide health insurance. However, two-thirds of respondents said that proposals that would require smaller employers to provide health insurance could prompt some companies to close, and 53% said the risks of such proposals outweigh the potential benefits, the study found (Wall Street Journal Online, 4/25).