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Dramatic New Field Poll Shows Increasing Dissatisfaction with Current Health Insurance System Behind Increasing California Support for Single Payor Reform

By Frank D. Russo

The Field Poll results released today show a dramatic increase in support amongst California voters for replacing the current health system in the state with a government-run system covering all Californians.

36% of California voters support a new government run system--like Medicare--up from 24% in last December's survey. At the same time support for making "reforms with the framework of the current health insurance system, with shared responsibilities by government and individuals" has dropped from 52% to 33%. Reliance on "free market competition to improve the health insurance system" draws only 14%, down from 18% previously.

So, the approach of SB 840 (Kuehl) now has a plurality of support in California, although within the margin of error of this survey--4.5 percent. What is most significant is the trend in this poll. Support for making changes within the current insurance framework has dropped 19 points while single payor has increased by 12 points.

Overall 69% of California voters want changes and only 14% see free market competition as the model.

Looking below these numbers, the cause of the shift is quite clear. The greater the dissatisfactions with the current system, the more support there is for replacing the current system with single payor. And there is growing dissatisfaction with what we have now in California.

Only eight short months ago in December 51% of California voters described themselves as satisfied with the current system. That number has dropped to 28% while those responding that they are dissatisfied has risen to 69% from 44% previously. The numbers who are very satisfied with what we have now has dropped to 7% from 13% previously and those who say they are "very dissatisfied" is now the largest response with 42%, up from 20% in that category before.

Table 4 in the poll shows the direct correlation of dissatisfaction with the health care system and those who want single payor. It also shows that the largest proposition of Democrats (47%) and "non-partisan/others" (39%) support single payor, while for Republicans the largest response is to reform the current system with insurance and "shared responsibility" (37%).

While it is not surprising that 55% of "liberals" support single payor, perhaps one of the more salient points of the Field Poll is that self described "middle-of-the-road" voters are split between these two options at 34% apiece and with only 10% saying they want to rely on a free market approach. While 31% of "conservatives" support the free market approach, 35% want to reform the current insurance system and 19% even support single payor.

There are some tectonic shifts going on here.

The voters are pessimistic that the legislature and governor will be successful in passing "major health care reform" this year. Given that this question was asked between August 3 and 12, when the state budget impasse was a big topic, it is understandable that only 36% would say it is likely and 58% would respond in the unlikely categories. I'm not sure that polling voters about what is likely to happen inside the Capitol is a barometer of anything significant. For this year, we will know within a month if we have action or more of the same in the health care area from Sacramento. Clearly the voters want change--significant change--and that is the biggest message in these numbers.

Posted on August 22, 2007

Comments

FOR THE LIFE OF ME (insurance/sickness cartel excepted)
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY BUSINESS DOESN'T GET BEHIND
SB 840....OR BETTER YET HR 676-UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL!

CAN'T THEY SEE THIS IS A 'WAY' TO DETACH FROM THE UMBILICAL CORD THAT'S KILLING THEM?
WHY DO SMALL BUSIINESSES HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTHCARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES?

WHY ALSO MUST WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE IN A CALL CENTER 'MONITOR' OUR KIDNEYS, INGROWN TOENAILS, TONSIL REMOVALS AND MOLES?

GOOD GOD! THINK ABOUT THAT--IT'S WHAT WE PAY FOR NOW!
LET INSURANCE COMPANIES GO BACK TO INSURING FIRE, FAMINE AND FLOOD AND LEAVE OUR INGROWN TOENAILS TO US!

HOW COME ARNIE AND ALL THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE TAXPAYER-FUNDED NATIONAL HEALTHCARE---? I WANT THAT TOO!

Posted by: iLA at August 22, 2007 06:40 PM

Haven't you noticed the way the insurers "pay" off folks who have their houses destroyed in fires? In recent wild fires Californians found insurers paying 50 cents on the dollar for 'covered' damages. If the policy holder TRIES to fight they reduce their offer. So you REALLY don't have coverage in these "EXTENDED COVERAGE" policies which replaced the "FULL REPLACEMENT" policies. So if they screw you out of your home, why do you want to put YOUR LIFE into their greedy hands? Pass SB 840 and it rolls all the way east to New York. Massachusetts mandatory plan is a joke people can't afford the coverage.

Posted by: Nick at August 28, 2007 04:54 PM

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