Battleground or common ground? What is the state of the health care debate? The answer is "Yes" according Bill Galston of the Brookings Institute, who in conjunction with World Public Opinion, has released findings from an insightful new survey (watch video from the polls release after the break).

In the field from September 26 to October 5, the poll goes beyond the standard topline analysis to provide a nuanced picture of public opinion on health care.

The first part of the survey looked at Americans' views on the role of government in health care, their assessment of the current situation, and their reaction to the current debate. The poll digs deep, illustrating both areas of consensus on specific policies as well as long standing divisions on basic assumptions behind reform.

In 2008, 77 percent of respondents believed the government had a responsibility to ensure the "basic need for health care" was met for their people. In the latest survey that figure dropped to 60 percent. The biggest change came from Republicans where the percent of respondents who believed the government had a responsibility for health care dropped from 55 percent in 2008 to 29 percent in 2009.

Asked whether the status quo was basically fine or unsustainable, two-thirds (68 percent) agreed the current system was not viable and needed reform. The question elicited a partisan split with Independents (75 percent) agreeing overwhelmingly with Democrats (87 percent) that change was needed. Fifty-eight percent of Republican respondents believed the system was basically sound and that government changes would only make things worse.

Three-quarters of respondents worried that sometime in the future they would not be able to afford health insurance. This was true across income and education levels, and it was even more true when respondents were asked to think about their fellow Americans -- 84 percent were concerned whether Americans could get affordable health insurance.

As the current health care debate has grown more partisan, the majority of respondents have grown less supportive of ideas from both Republicans and Democrats. Still only 14 percent of respondents believed the system needed no changes. Two-thirds of Democrats believed the government should act now to make those changes while 45 percent of Republicans believed the government was overextended and should wait a few years before enacting reforms.

On specific policies, the poll provided respondents with the pros and cons of an idea and asked them to pick a side. The results are encouraging as nearly all of the specific proposals for health care reform were endorsed by a majority of the respondents:

Public Option: Two-thirds of respondents agreed with arguments for a public option available to anyone, with the issue producing a partisan split -- 65 percent of Republicans against, 79 percent of Democrats for and 57 percent of Independents siding with the Democratic position. Interestingly, when presented with a more limited public option available only to those who cannot get insurance through their employers (as is the case in most current legislative proposals), 75 percent of respondents, including a majority of Republicans (59 percent) and Independents (74 percent)  supported it.

Insurance Company Regulation: Policies that would require guaranteed issue and put an end to the practice of rescissions have overwhelming bipartisan support.

Individual Mandate: A modest majority of the respondents (52 percent) agreed with the need for an individual mandate. Interestingly support was consistent, even for those who thought their taxes would be somewhat higher from reform.

 

 

 

 

The poll also found support for employer mandates (54 percent), tort reform (55 percent) and cross state purchase of health insurance (65 percent). The poll also questioned respondents what they thought the impact of health reform would be on their taxes and the deficit. The majority of respondents believed that reform would increase both. However, only for those who believed reform would make their taxes and the deficit "a lot higher" did support for specific policies like an individual mandate or public option, dip below 50 percent. What this demonstrates, Washington Post columnist  E.J. Dionne Jr said while offering his comments on the poll, is that people are actually willing to pay something for health reform.

All of this bodes well for reform, argued one of the study's authors, Steve Kull. Most people see merit in the changes being proposed and there is an underlying support for the role of government in health care. Noting that many of the changes will come during the economic recovery, Kull argued much of the vitriol and fear is over-hyped and that, "If reform is passed, over time the public will become more comfortable with it."