The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll is in, and the health care reform approval numbers are holding pretty steady. Slightly more people than last month, 54 percent, believe the country will be better off if health reform passes. And 42 percent -- an improvement from earlier this year -- believe that health reform will personally benefit them or their families.

The number who believe health reform will hurt them (24 percent) or the country (27 percent) is down slightly from last month. Roughly the same one-in-four don't think health reform will affect them. Democrats and Independents are more likely than Republicans to view health reform as positive. However, when asked about specific provisions in the health care bills, a majority ranked as  "extremely" or "very" important these components of reform:  affordable, available health insurance, coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, providing subsidies to help the uninsured purchase coverage, requiring all Americans to have health insurance, filling the Medicare donut hole, and not adding to the U.S. budget deficit.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care Consumer Confidence Index (RWJF Index) found that Americans' confidence in their health insurance coverage and access to care increased in October, from 96.6 in September to 104.4 points.

The Kaiser tracking poll also asked Americans about health reform financing options, including a tax on high income earners, or a "Cadillac tax" on high value health plans. A near majority of Americans, 47 percent, strongly favor the tax increase for high income individuals and families (like the one found in the House bill), while 29 percent strongly support the Cadillac tax.

The poll also revealed the ongoing problems Americans face in accessing affordable care during economic hard times. In the past year, a majority of Americans (53 percent) reported putting off care because of cost. According to the RWJF index, 20.6 percent of Americans reported difficulty in paying their health care bills.

 For more detailed analysis of what polling data means for health reform, check out our earlier posts.