Who Americans Trust on Health Care Reform
Ouch! That’s one word that comes to mind after reading the results of a Gallup Poll asking Americans which of several groups they have confidence in when it comes to health care reform. The results are clear: if you deliver health care or are an objective authority on health care policy, the public trusts you. If you’re a politician, not so much. And if you’re an insurance company, the only group less trusted are Republicans in Congress. That’s got to hurt. Can you imagine being a Republican Senator and heading off to work each day realizing that the public trusts insurance carriers to do a better job on health care reform than you? Ouch!
The Gallup study was taken in June, so the numbers have no doubt changed. For example, a July 21st Gallup survey show a majority of Americans “disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling healthcare policy.” Even so, the poll is still interesting in what it reveals about the standing of certain groups in the eyes of the public (my thanks to reader Meg McComb for bringing it to my attention). The question Gallup asked was, “… please say whether you are confident or not confident in each [group or individual named] to recommend the right thing for reforming the U.S. healthcare system.”
The percent of respondents expressing confidence:
- Doctors: 73%
- Healthcare professors/researchers: 62%
- Hospitals: 61%
- President Barack Obama: 58%
- Democratic leaders in Congress: 42%
- Pharmaceutical companies: 40%
- Health insurance companies: 35%
- Republican leaders in Congress: 34%
What the poll found is that doctor, hospitals and researchers are viewed positively across the political spectrum whereas the support for the others is more partisan. So, for example:
- Hospitals had the confidence of 60% of Democrats, 57% of Independents and 68% of Republicans to recommend the right health care reform.
- President Obama had the confidence of 85% of Democrats, 53% of Independents and 28% of Republicans
- Health insurance companies had the confidence of 33% of Democrats, 32% of Independents and 42% of Republicans.
Partisans, not surprisingly, were sticking with their home team. The Democratic leadership had the confidence of 70% of Democrats, 36% of Independents and only 15% of Republicans. The Republican leadership had the confidence of 65% of Republicans, 27% of independents, and just 19% of Democrats.
One interesting finding: while 35% of Democrats and Independents have confidence in the pharmaceutical companies concerning health care reform, an impressive 52% of Republicans do. Which makes one wonder, what medication are they on?