Poll: On health reform, Americans trust Obama more than both parties in Congress

Mar 5 2010

A new Gallup poll asked Americans whom they trusted to reform the nation's health care system.

Politics Daily: "Americans have more confidence in President Obama to recommend the right thing for health care reform than they do in Democratic or Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, but the percentages for all of the players on the issue is lower than it was last June, according to a Gallup poll conducted March 2-3. ... 'As the debate over healthcare reform legislation enters what could be its final month, the American public's confidence in several of the political players who have been at the heart of the fray has eroded,' Gallup said" (Drake, 3/5).

The Hill: "Just under half of respondents, 49 percent, said they're confident in Obama's healthcare recommendations, compared to 37 percent for Democratic leaders in Congress and 32 percent for Republicans leaders in Congress" (Zimmermann, 3/5).

USA Today published the list, in order of preference. Doctors ranked highest at 77 percent, followed by hospitals (64 percent), university professors or researchers who study health care policy (61 percent), the president, Democrats and Republicans, then pharmaceutical companies (30 percent). Health insurance companies were last with 26 percent (Kiely, 3/5).

The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.