On Oct. 22, the Washington, D.C.-based Households USA, the non-partisan advocacy group targeted on healthcare shoppers, launched the outcomes of a nationwide survey round Individuals’ prime coverage issues, discovering that healthcare prices are the highest precedence for voters nationwide.
A press launch from the group started thus: “In the present day, Households USA is releasing a brand new ballot carried out by Hart Analysis Associates displaying that decreasing well being care prices is the highest precedence for American voters throughout celebration strains, even surpassing housing, jobs, crime, and immigration. Fielded September 25-29, this ballot reveals that well being care prices had been a prime precedence even earlier than the federal government shutdown thrust well being care tax credit into the highlight. The ballot of 1,502 registered voters nationwide reveals near-unanimous bipartisan assist not just for extending well being care tax credit however for broader reforms to carry down prices.”
Per that top-level consequence, Anthony Wright, govt director of Households USA, said that, “No matter the place you reside, your earnings, your kind of insurance coverage, or your politics—practically each American believes unreasonable well being care prices are an pressing challenge for Congress and the President to tackle.”
Certainly, Wright stated, “We respect these members of Congress preventing to guard Medicaid funding and medical insurance tax credit proper now–and this ballot reveals voters agree on these fast fights and on greater, broader reforms to tackle the company techniques driving excessive well being costs. . Leaders ought to observe the uncommon and broad consensus to tackle well being care prices head-on. Voters proper, left and middle are feeling the urgency and can reward those that take up the reason for getting well being care prices beneath management.”
Key findings from the ballot embody:
• Well being care prices are the highest precedence for American voters: 43% of voters say decreasing well being care prices is crucial challenge for Congress and the President to deal with—surpassing housing (35%), jobs (31%), immigration (24%), and crime (21%). Well being care affordability ranks because the primary precedence for Democrats and Independents and the second precedence for Republicans.
• 91% of voters say it is vital that Congress and the President act to decrease well being care prices. The ballot additionally reveals why Individuals need motion: 42% say crucial purpose for Congress to scale back well being care prices is to scale back stress on household budgets and produce down the price of dwelling, whereas 36% say it is to provide entry to well being care to those that can not fford it now.
• Bipartisan assist for common sense well being care reforms that put a reimbursement in folks’s pockets. Voters throughout celebration strains imagine the next daring actions will probably be only at instantly bringing down prices:
• Eliminating authorized loopholes that permit well being care suppliers to overcharge (75%),
• Proscribing aggressive billing practices like shock billing (73%),
• Decreasing pointless middlemen between sufferers and suppliers, who enhance prices (72%)
• Have the federal government set direct limits on the costs that suppliers can cost (64%)
• Overwhelming assist and nearly no opposition to well being care price options which can be actively pending in Congress, together with:
• Require all hospitals to reveal charges they cost in {dollars} and cents (91%),
• Prohibiting techniques from charging Medicare extra for a similar process if carried out at a hospital facility as an alternative of a physician’s workplace (84%),
• Prohibit Medicare Benefit corporations from exaggerating well being dangers to receives a commission extra (79%),
• Extending enhanced premium tax credit (73%).
Per all these outcomes, Wright stated that, “After an election on affordability, Congress ought to be shifting rapidly on well being care tax credit, many different pending proposals–from reforms of Medicare Benefit funds to making sure hospitals are paid the identical worth for a similar service,” stated Wright. “Frankly, tax credit ought to be the straightforward half – adopted by a much bigger and bolder affordability agenda on our well being care price disaster that the American individuals are clearly demanding.”
And the press launch famous that “The findings present well being care affordability is a prime concern throughout demographic teams, with 47 % of ladies, 49 % of seniors, 47 % of Latino voters, and 45 % of small city and rural voters citing it as their primary precedence. When requested about particular well being care costs, voters rated them overwhelmingly unreasonable: 85 per for hospital charges, 83 % for medical gadgets, 81 % for specialist charges, and 80 % for pharmaceuticals.”
