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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 24 January 2019

Poll: Support for ‘Medicare-for-all’ fluctuates with details

By RICARDO ALONSO- Harvard T.H. Chan School Economy Research Institute disapproval show that the quired. Sanders’ bill would
ZALDIVAR of Public Health who re- at the University of Mas- debate over “Medicare- forbid employers from of-
Associated Press viewed the poll. He pointed sachusetts in Amherst sug- for-all” is in its infancy. “You fering coverage that du-
WASHINGTON (AP) — plicates benefits under the
Americans like the idea of new government plan.
“Medicare-for-all,” but sup- “Medicare-for-all” is a key
port flips to disapproval if it issue energizing the Demo-
would result in higher taxes cratic base ahead of the
or longer waits for care. 2020 presidential election,
That’s a key insight from but Republicans are solidly
a national poll released opposed.
Wednesday by the non- “Any public debate about
partisan Kaiser Family Foun- ‘Medicare-for-all’ will be a
dation. It comes as Demo- divisive issue for the country
cratic presidential hope- at large,” Brodie said.
fuls embrace the idea of The poll indicated wide-
a government-run health spread support for two
care system, considered other ideas advanced by
outside the mainstream of Democrats as alternatives
their party until Vermont to a health care system ful-
independent Sen. Bernie ly run by the government.
Sanders made it the cor- Majorities across the po-
nerstone of his 2016 cam- litical spectrum backed
paign. President Donald allowing people ages 50-
Trump is opposed, saying 64 to buy into Medicare,
“Medicare-for-all” would as well as allowing people
“eviscerate” the current who don’t have health in-
program for seniors. surance on the job to buy
The poll found that Ameri- into their state’s Medicaid
cans initially support “Medi- program.
care-for-all,” 56 percent to In this Jan. 16, 2019, photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., reacts during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Separately, another pri-
Washington.
42 percent. Associated Press vate survey out Wednes-
However, those numbers day finds the uninsured
shifted dramatically when out that state single-pay- gests that it could be much immediately see that opin- rate among U.S. adults rose
people were asked about er efforts in Vermont and lower. With significant cost ion is not set in stone on this to 13.7 percent in the last
the potential impact, pro Colorado failed because savings, the government issue,” she said. three months of 2018.
and con. of concerns about the tax would need to raise about Indeed, the poll found that The Gallup National Health
Support increased when increases needed to put $1.1 trillion from new reve- many people are still un- and Well-Being Index
people were told “Medi- them in place. nue sources in the first year aware of some of the basic found an increase of 2.8
care-for-all” would guar- There doesn’t seem to be of the new program. implications of a national percentage points since
antee health insurance as much disagreement that a House Budget Committee health plan. 2016, the year Trump was
a right (71 percent) and single-payer system would Chairman John Yarmuth, For example, most work- elected promising to re-
eliminate premiums and require tax increases, since D-Ky., has asked the Con- ing-age people currently peal “Obamacare.”
reduce out-of-pocket costs the government would gressional Budget Office for covered by an employer That would translate to
(67 percent). take over premiums now a comprehensive report on (55 percent) said they about 7 million more unin-
But if they were told that paid by employers and in- single-payer. would be able to keep sured adults.
a government-run system dividuals as it replaces the The CBO is a nonpartisan their current plan under a Government surveys have
could lead to delays in private health insurance in- outfit that analyzes the po- government-run system, found that the uninsured
getting care or higher tax- dustry. The question is how tential cost and impact of while 37 percent correctly rate has remained essen-
es, support plunged to 26 much. legislation. Its estimate that answered that they would tially stable under Trump.
percent and 37 percent, Several independent stud- millions would be made un- not. The Kaiser Health Tracking
respectively. Support fell ies have estimated that insured by Republican bills There’s one exception: Un- Poll was conducted Jan.
to 32 percent if it would government spending on to repeal the Affordable der a “Medicare-for-all” 9-14 and involved random
threaten the current Medi- health care would increase Care Act was key to the idea from the Center for calls to the cellphones and
care program. dramatically, in the range survival of President Barack American Progress employ- landlines of 1,190 adults.
“The issue that will really of about $25 trillion to $35 Obama’s health care law. ers and individuals would The margin of sampling er-
be fundamental would be trillion or more over a 10- Mollyann Brodie, director have the choice of joining ror for all respondents is
the tax issue,” said Robert year period. But a recent of the Kaiser poll, said the the government plan, al- plus or minus 3 percentage
Blendon, a professor at the estimate from the Political big swings in approval and though it wouldn’t be re- points.q