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Public Support For Health Reform Unchanged in October With More in Favor Than Opposed
October 23, 2009After falling over the summer then ticking upward in September, key tracking measures of public support for health care reform held steady in October with more Americans backing an overhaul of the U.S. health system than opposing it, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. Fifty-five percent of Americans believe that it is more important than ever to take on health care reform now, while 41 percent say the country cannot afford it right now, similar to last month. Just over half say the country will be better off if reform passes, unchanged from September. "Our October poll finds no big change in public opinion that would move the debate, but the decisive moment for public opinion is still to come," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "The key milestone - both in the political process and in public opinion - will be reached when there is a single bill that Americans can put under a microscope and debate." Although the big picture was not dramatically different, the new poll did reveal some new wrinkles in public opinion. Full release.