Fifty-Four Percent of Americans Believe Health Care Reform Will Not Be Passed...(y is still a major concern 51 percent be...),Health

Top concerns regarding health care reform expressed by consumers surveyed include:

• Thirty-seven percent do not want the government to run health care.
• Twenty percent did not want their taxes to increase to cover health care for others.
• Thirteen percent were concerned that they did not understand the proposals.
• Twelve percent thought they might have to wait too long to see a doctor if the public option is passed.
• Only five percent were concerned about issues related to end of life care.
  

"Given consumer concerns regarding the public option and government-run health care, the current bill appears to be more in line with what consumers we surveyed may be more comfortable with," added Keckley. "Our survey results indicate that while the majority believe the health care system needs to change, 48 percent want improvements, but not a major overhaul of the system. This supports the idea that a more moderate, incremental approach may be the answer."

Additional findings from the survey include:

• Seventy-three percent of respondents believe it is important for every American to have health insurance.
• The uninsured (60 percent) and underinsured (55 percent) respondents were more likely to believe a major overhaul of the U.S. health care system is needed.
• Fifty-seven percent of respondents believe Town Hall meetings have been an effective forum for gaining feedback from the public compared to 35 percent who did not think they were.
• Respondents were split when it came to ranking the U.S. health care system, with approximately half (48 percent) agreeing that the U.S. health care system was the best system
  '/>"/>