Americans have put aside partisan difference and agree on several significant health care issues, but facets of Obama's health-care plan remain outside of those boundaries, according to a newly released Zogby International/O'Leary Report poll.
"Congress should put forward a health care reform plan that addresses these eight issues on which most Americans agree," Brad O’Leary, publisher of "The O'Leary Report," said today.
"In particular, tort reform and permitting Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines have near universal appeal with voters. New taxes, on the other hand, are almost universally opposed," he said.
O'Leary, besides authoring the report bearing his name, also has written "Shut Up America: The End of Free Speech."
The report says the newest poll, involving 4,426 likely voters on Sept. 4-8, resulting in a margin-of-error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points, reveals voters mostly agree with each other, but not necessarily the president, on significant issues such as tort reform and the idea that a consumer should be able to purchase insurance from any provider – not just those within his or her own state.
"On five health care-related issues, 70 percent of Americans have put their partisan differences aside, and on three other issues a majority of Americans agree by a 2-1 margin with what's right for America on health care reform," the survey analysis said.
The first issue was the purchase of health insurance. Americans right now only may buy from a provider licensed in their state.
"Some say that Americans should be allowed to purchase health insurance from providers in different states possibly creating more competition and driving down the price of health insurance. Do you agree or disagree?" the poll asked.
More than 82 percent said they agreed, and only about 7 percent disagreed.
The margin was nearly as overwhelming for the second questions, which asked: "Currently, medical malpractice insurance costs doctors in some areas of the country up to $200,000 per year, a cost that doctors pass on to their patients in the form of higher fees for service. Do you agree or disagree that tort reform is needed?"
More than 78 percent agreed and about 12 percent disagreed.
Regarding support for new taxes on employer-provided health care benefits, only about 12 percent agreed and nearly 78 percent said no.
Likewise, 75 percent said no when asked about raising taxes to fund a government-run health insurance program for the 26 million Americans who can afford insurance but choose not to buy it or the 12 million illegal aliens who lack health insurance. Only 15 percent said that should happen.
A federal proposal that would fine Americans for not purchasing health insurance is a bad idea, according to 70 percent of respondents, and a good idea for 18 percent.
And restrictions for pre-existing conditions should be allowed, according to about 20 percent of the respondents, while 68 percent said no such limits should be permitted.
Regarding the proposed Obamacare "Independent Medicare Advisory Council," which purportedly would make decisions "to deny payment for procedures it deems unnecessary or futile," not even one voter in three supports the idea.
Nearly 59 percent opposed the creation of such panels, dubbed "death panels" by critics.
The last question dealt with Americans who lose or leave their jobs – and whether they should be allowed to stay on their previous employer's health insurance plan. Nearly 55 percent agreed and 25 percent disagareed.
The remaining respondents in each of the questions answered with "Not sure."
If you are a member of the media and would like to interview Brad O'Leary about this story, e-mail [email protected].
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