Americans split on Obama's health care proposals, new poll finds

Americans are split evenly on President Barack Obama's proposals for health care reform, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Still, a "CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey indicates that a majority say (sic) it would be better to pass some sort of reform legislation than to leave the current health care system unchanged," CNN reports. "And the poll, released Wednesday, is the second national survey this week to suggest growing support for the public option. Forty-nine percent of people questioned in the poll say they favor the president's health care reform proposals, with an equal amount in opposition."

"According to the survey, 61 percent favor a public health insurance option that would compete with private plans. That's a six-point increase in support since August. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll joins an ABC/Washington Post survey released Tuesday in indicating an increase in support for a government option. But the poll suggests a generational divide" with seniors more wary of reform. "The poll suggests that while Americans are split over the president's health care proposals, they trust Obama by 16 points more than Congressional Republicans on the issue" (10/21).

Meanwhile, NPR says the ABC/Washington Post Poll shows Americans had a change of heart on health care and the public option, which a majority now support. NPR interviewed Washington Post Poll Director Jon Cohen to explain the poll and the shift in opinion (Martin, 10/21).

---

This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.