The public and the emerging debate over national health insurance

Article Abstract:

Public opinion polls conducted in 1990 have revealed that over 70 percent of Americans would like to see some type of national health insurance. Public support for a program funded exclusively by the government has reached the highest level since World War II. But there are conflicting opinions about how such a plan should be designed, and this report discusses the points of disagreement as well as the points of consensus concerning national health insurance. The data were obtained from several hundred polls taken by 25 different survey organizations between the years 1938 and 1990. The findings included that Americans generally think everyone should have access to health care, but they do not feel as strongly about this as citizens of certain countries in Europe. While 73 percent favored a national health insurance plan, the level of support dropped to under 40 percent if sacrifices would be necessary, such as limiting the choice of physicians and waiting to obtain medical care. Americans are also unwilling to accept more than a modest tax increase in order to fund national health insurance; only 22 percent would pay over $200 a year to support medical care for all. These attitudes are probably based upon the perception by the American public that taxes are already too high, even though in the US, taxes are the next to lowest out of the 18 wealthiest industrial nations. Americans are also less in favor of redistributing the wealth from the richer to poorer citizens, as compared with European citizens. The authors conclude that it will be difficult for the public to agree upon, and support passage of, any single national health insurance plan. Five principles to be incorporated into any such plan, in order to increase the chance of passage, are proposed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Public opinion, National health insurance

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Physicians' perspectives on caring for patients in the United States, Canada, and West Germany

Article Abstract:

Universal health care coverage and cost containment may reduce access to sophisticated medical technology and the quality of certain types of medical services. A study surveyed physicians' level of satisfaction with their health care system in the US, Canada and the former West Germany. Canada and West Germany are two industrialized countries with programs for universal health care coverage and cost containment. Among 1,628 physicians who were surveyed about their level of satisfaction with their health care system, 602 were from the US, 507 were from Canada and 519 were from West Germany. Twenty-three percent of the US physicians were satisfied with their health care system, compared with 33% of the Canadian physicians and 48% of the German physicians. Seventy-three percent of the US physicians were concerned about patients' inability to afford health care, compared with 25% of the Canadian physicians and 15% of the German physicians. Canadian physicians were more likely to have limited access to sophisticated medical technology. German physicians were concerned about the reduced quality of certain types of medical services.

Canada, International aspects, Medical care, Physicians, Medical professions, Social policy, Beliefs, opinions and attitudes, West Germany, Germany, West

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The uninsured and the debate over the repeal of the Massachusetts universal health care law

Article Abstract:

The health care needs of uninsured individuals in Massachusetts may not be guaranteed by the Massachusetts Health Security Act of 1988. The Massachusetts law requires that hospitals that care for uninsured individuals be compensated by surcharges on services to insured individuals, and that all employers provide health insurance to their employees. A survey of 1,066 Massachusetts households found that 84% of uninsured residents live in a household with an employed adult. Most of the employed adults in uninsured households work for small to medium-sized companies. The uninsured were more likely to have a serious illness than the general population, and are more likely to be unaware of the health care law. Employers are concerned about the rising cost of health insurance premiums that result from hospital surcharges for uninsured individuals.

Laws, regulations and rules, Statistics, Medically uninsured persons

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