Health Care Lags Iraq, but Still on Public’s Priority List for Congress

MENLO PARK, Calif.–A new survey finds widespread support across
the political spectrum for a number of health initiatives likely to
be taken up by Congress in 2007, as well as a widely held view that
government should do more to address the high cost of health
care.

The poll, conducted in November by the Kaiser Family Foundation
and the Harvard School of Public Health, surveyed 1,867 adults for
their views on health issues as a new Democratic majority takes the
leadership of Congress and as the 2008 presidential campaign begins
to take shape.

While the war in Iraq continues to play a dominant role among
the public’s priorities, researchers said economic and health
concerns follow.

According to the poll, there is debate in Washington over how to
do it, but most adults support allowing the government to negotiate
drug prices under Medicare (85 percent). There is also widespread
support for permitting Americans to buy lower-priced prescription
drugs from Canada (79 percent). Eight in 10 people believe drug
price negotiation would make medications more affordable, while 31
percent believe it would result in less research and development by
U.S. drug companies.

More than half of Americans support broader federal funding for
stem cell research, though with sharp partisan divisions: 67
percent of Democrats compared to 37 percent of Republicans.

The public in general favors greater government support for
medical research. When asked to pick a public health priority, 67
percent chose increased spending to develop treatment and cures for
diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, compared to 14
percent who pointed to prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and 13
percent who said better preparation for public health threats like
avian flu, according to the survey results.

When asked to pick their top health care priority, most people
pointed either to expanding coverage for the uninsured or reducing
health care costs. Fewer chose improving the Medicare drug benefit,
the poll found. And, while policymakers struggle with the budget
deficit, few people (6 percent) rank reducing spending on
government health programs as their top priority.

The poll also found a strong desire among the public for
initiatives to address health care costs.

With previous polls showing health care affordability topping
the list of personal worries for Americans, it is not surprising
that substantial majorities see health care prices as unreasonable
compared with other goods and services, including hospital charges
(86 percent), brand name drugs (83 percent), health insurance
premiums (70 percent), nursing home charges (63 percent) and
physician fees (59 percent).

The survey shows that almost two-thirds (64 percent) of the
public believes government can do a lot to address the cost of
health care.

When faced with a choice between the government trying to solve
the health care cost problem by dealing directly with providers and
insurers and limiting what they can charge versus giving consumers
tax incentives to buy high-deductible coverage and encouraging them
to shop for lower prices and better quality, most people (59
percent) chose direct government action.