95% of Online Poll Respondents Say Nation’s Health Care System Needs Fundamental Change, Should Be Overhauled
Most respondents to an online poll released on Tuesday by the AFL-CIO believe that the health care system requires major changes, regardless of whether they have health insurance, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The survey, commissioned by AFL-CIO and affiliate Working America and conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates between Jan. 14 and March 3, included responses from more than 26,400 U.S. residents who completed an online questionnaire after being recruited to do so (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/26). Most survey respondents had jobs, college degrees and health insurance (Knowles, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/26). Union members accounted for 57% of survey respondents.
According to the survey, 95% of respondents said that "health care in America needs fundamental change or to be completely rebuilt" (Young, The Hill, 3/25). The survey also found:
- One-third of the respondents said that they did not seek necessary medical care because of cost concerns;
- 76% of respondents who lacked health insurance and 71% of those whose children lacked coverage said that a family member did not visit a physician when they became ill because of cost concerns;
- Two-thirds of respondents who lacked health insurance and 66% whose children lacked coverage said that they did not seek medical care or follow-up treatment recommended by a physician (Chicago Sun-Times, 3/26);
- 46% of respondents said that they had between $1,000 and $5,000 in out-of-pocket health care costs in the past year (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/26);
- 53% of Medicare beneficiaries who responded to the online poll said that their medications were not covered by the program or unaffordable;
- 95% of respondents with health insurance said that they had concerns about health care costs, and 62% said that they had concerns about quality;
- 96% of respondents said that they are somewhat or very concerned about their ability to afford health insurance (Chicago Sun-Times, 3/26);
- 71% of respondents with employer-sponsored health insurance have concerns about the loss of coverage and 61% said that the cost of their coverage has increased in recent years (The Hill, 3/26);
- 48% of respondents said that they or a family member remained at a job to retain health insurance;
- Almost one-third of respondents said that their health insurers initially refused to cover a medical treatment for themselves or a family member they should have covered (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/26); and
- 79% of respondents cited health care as a top campaign issue this year (Anstett, Detroit Free Press, 3/26).
Campaign Issue?
AFL-CIO hopes that the results of the online survey will prompt presidential candidates to focus on health care during their campaigns.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said of survey respondents, "These are the people you would expect to have positive experiences with America's health care system ... the lucky ones -- except they're not." He added, "They're hurting ... struggling to pay medical bills, skipping doctor visits and prescriptions because of costs ... and they are extremely pessimistic about the future of our country. They think health care is one of today's most important issues, and they are ready to vote about it" (The Hill, 3/25).
The results of the survey are available online.
American Public Media's "Marketplace Morning Report" on Tuesday reported on the survey. The segment includes comments from a respondent and Heather Booth, director of AFL-CIO's health care publicity campaign (Marshall Genzer, "Marketplace Morning Report," American Public Media, 3/25). Audio and a transcript of the segment are available online.
