Poll: Support Low for Guaranteeing Health Insurance to Undocumented Immigrants
A majority of California residents do not believe the state should ensure access to health insurance for undocumented immigrants, according to a poll by the Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University, columnist George Skelton reports in his "Capitol Journal" column in the Los Angeles Times.
The poll included responses from 985 California residents before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Monday announced his health care reform plan. The proposal includes provisions that would require undocumented immigrants to obtain health insurance.
Questions that did not specifically address undocumented immigrants found that 52% of state residents said the state should "guarantee" access to health insurance for everyone and that 59% believe all children should have health insurance.
However, when asked specifically whether the state should ensure access to health insurance for undocumented immigrants, Skelton reports that the poll found:
- 37% of respondents said "yes";
- 52% responded "no";
- Democrats were "about evenly split on the issue";
- About three-fourths of Republicans and independents opposed the issue;
- Two-thirds of Latino voters supported it; and
- One-quarter of white voters supported it.
The survey is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the survey. This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.