Uninsured, Medical Costs Top Voters’ Health Care Concerns
Providing health coverage to the uninsured is the most important health-related issue for presidential candidates to address among Democrats and Independents, while most Republicans say containing medical costs is most important, according to a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll, the Wall Street Journal reports.
For the poll, Harris Interactive conducted an online survey of a nationwide cross section of 2,185 adults from Sept. 10 to Sept. 12. The survey sought to determine how much U.S. residents trust policymakers to develop solutions for improving and reforming health care.
According to the poll, 39% of U.S. adults trust Democrats "a great deal" or "to some extent" to develop good health care policies, compared with 26% of adults who trust Republicans. However, trust for both parties has declined since February, the poll found.
In addition, 69% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans believe the health care system would be better if health coverage was not linked directly to employers, according to the poll.
Eighty-two percent of Democrats said it is the federal government's responsibility to ensure coverage for U.S. residents, compared with 47% of Republicans and 66% of Independents (Bright, Wall Street Journal, 9/19).