53% Remain Opposed to Health Care Plan
As President Obama and his congressional allies search for a way to pass their proposed health care plan, most voters remain opposed to the legislative effort.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% favor the plan while 53% are opposed. These figures include just 20% who Strongly Favor the plan and 41% who are Strongly Opposed.
Last week, support for the health care plan inched up to 44% following the president's televised health care summit. However, that mild bounce has faded, and support is back to where it was for months. With the exception of last week's results, overall support for the president's health care plan has stayed in a very narrow range from 38% to 42% since Thanksgiving.
As has been the case for months, Democrats overwhelmingly favor the plan, and Republicans are overwhelmingly opposed. As for those not affiliated with either major party, 32% favor the plan, and 64% are opposed.
One reason for the huge partisan gap is that a solid plurality of Democrats believe it would be a good for workers if they were forced off a private insurance plan and on to a government program. Republicans and unaffiliated voters strongly disagree.
Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters believe passage of the proposed health care legislation will lead to higher health care costs. Just 17% believe it will achieve the stated goal of reducing the cost of care.
Forty-nine percent (49%) also think passage of the plan will reduce the quality of care, while only 23% believe it will improve the quality of care.
Despite the continuing public opposition to the plan, 47% believe the legislation is at least somewhat likely to pass, while 39% say it is not likely to become law. Polling released last week showed that most voters want Congress to scrap the existing plan and start over on health care reform.
The disconnect between sustained public opposition to the plan and the belief it may pass may be one reason that just 21% of voters believe the federal government has the consent of the governed. This follows a similar disconnect on the bailouts, the takeover of General Motors and other initiatives that were approved in the past year despite strong public opposition.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of those with insurance now rate their own coverage as good or excellent. The fact that most Americans are comfortable with their own insurance coverage has proven to be a major obstacle for advocates of reform. Overall, 44% of voters rate the U.S. health care system as good or excellent.
When it comes to health care decisions, 51% fear the federal government more than they fear private insurance companies.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/20100308/pl_rasmussen/healthcarereform20100308
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