Citizens on Government Health Care Say 'No ...(;Those Americans who have the most exper...),Health

More than 54 percent of the respondents opposed the idea of a "single-payer" system in which the federal government pays for health care. Thirty-nine percent supported the idea.

Given a choice between a statement that the government is needed to control costs or the government's role in health care will do more harm than good, 49 percent chose the second statement. Thirty-eight percent chose the first.

A fourth question was: "Would you support or oppose a provision that banned the government or insurance companies from considering a patient's age or life-expectancy when deciding whether or not to cover certain medical procedures?"

Fifty-five percent supported the statement while 38 percent were opposed.

The respondents also expressed a desire to pinpoint corrections in the present system where problems are discovered.

Question No. 5 was, "It is estimated that 10 million Americans, 3.3 percent of the U.S. population, are too poor to afford health insurance, yet their income levels are high enough to disqualify them from government-provided health care programs like Medicaid. Should health care reform focus on providing coverage for this 3.3 percent of Americans, or should congress overhaul the entire U.S. health care system."

More than 45 percent said address the 3.3 percent who have difficulties, while 36 percent suggested a systemwide overhaul.

More than two of three opposed the idea of the government requiring everyone to buy health insurance or face a fine. Only 18 percent supported the idea.

Other questions were: