 (Image: Beverly & Pack under CC 2.0) |
Confused? Many are puzzled at the findings of this Newsweek poll. Republicans, independents, and even some Democrats have criticized President Obama for attempting to move forward on healthcare reform when a majority of Americans have expressed opposition to his plan. Meanwhile, the administration has claimed that the opposition is more of an issue of bad marketing than the actual merits or lack thereof of the proposal.
Although those justifications for ramming the bill through with budget reconciliation seem pompous, they may be onto something. There are legitimate concerns that the health insurance cost spiral will not be stopped by the bill, and that the amount of government spending and involvement is far too high. However, while the generic “Obamacare” legislation is opposed by 49% of Americans, 48% support the plan once they are told of its specifics.
In fact, a whopping 81% are in favor of a new national health insurance plan exchange, while 76% want health insurance companies to be required to cover people with pre-existing conditions. Three-quarters of respondents also want employers to be mandated to provide health insurance coverage to their employees (with tax incentives for small businesses that do so).
There may be some weight to those who claim that healthcare reform opponents have succeeded in framing the debate, and that the current bill shouldn’t be dumped completely. However, they shouldn’t cheer too much, because certain Democratic proposals–like a tax on high-cost “Cadillac” health insurance plans, and a mandate that would impose fines on those who fail to buy individual health insurance–are very unpopular.
Tags: cadillac tax, democrats, health insurance, health insurance mandate, healthcare reform, high-cost health insurance plans, individual health insurance, obama, republicans
