Kaiser Health Tracking Poll - July 2009
The July Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds a majority of the public remains supportive of taking action on health reform now, though there is some softening of support as criticisms and doubts seem to be registering.
As has been the case over the past ten months, a majority of the American people continue to believe that health reform is more important than ever despite the country’s economic problems, and the public believes by a two to one margin that the country will be better rather than worse off if Congress and the president enact health reform.
But with health reform moving from the abstract to concrete legislative proposals, criticisms made during the policy debate appear to be having an impact on the public and several indicators have softened somewhat from earlier this year. A larger share of the public is worried that Congress and the president will pass a bill that’s bad for their family than are worried that health care reform will not happen this year. While a majority of the public favors health care reform now, the share that is supportive is down five percentage points since June.
The July Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, the fourth in a series designed and analyzed by the Foundation’s public opinion survey research team, examines voters’ specific health care issue interests and experiences and perceptions about health care reform.