How it's Playing

How it’s Playing features polls and surveys from across the country on everything from generic drugs to the healthcare reform debate  in Washington. The RxRoundtable is constantly looking for new polling information. If you have a poll you would like featured in How it’s Playing, please contact us at info@rxroundtable.org

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association
March 10, 2010

• Three in Four Enrollees Oppose Legislation to Change the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program

Seventy-four percent of those enrolled in the Federal Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) oppose a new effort by Congress to change the program’s prescription drug benefits, according to a new poll released by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).

• Eighty-three percent of FEHBP’s enrollees are satisfied with their prescription drug coverage, according to the survey.

Associated Press
March 9, 2010

• Half of all Americans say health care should be changed a lot or "a great deal"

A new Associated Press-GfK Poll finds a widespread hunger for improvements to the health care system, which suggests President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies have a political opening to push their plan.

• More than four in five Americans say it's important that any health care plan have support from both parties. And 68 percent say the president and congressional Democrats should keep trying to cut a deal with Republicans rather than pass a bill with no GOP support.
• 43 percent of those surveyed said Obama and Congress should keep working to pass health care this year, while 41 percent said they should start from scratch.

Washington Times
February 17, 2010

• 57 percent of Americans do not like either of the competing health care bills produced by the Senate and House and say Congress should start over

"The American public wants Congress to start the health care debate over from scratch - just as Republicans have been pushing - amid growing talk among Democrats about the need to use a procedural end run to ram through a revised overhaul bill."

USA TODAY/Gallup
January 22, 2010

• 55 percent of those surveyed want Democrats to go back to the drawing board for a more bipartisan health care bill

"A majority of Americans say President Obama and congressional Democrats should suspend work on the health care bill that has been on the verge of passage and consider alternatives that would draw more Republican support, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds."

• 25 percent of Democrats say lawmakers should draft a new bill, as do 56 percent of independents and 87 percent of Republicans.
• 46 percent say that health care is important but that there are other problems they should address first; 19 percent say health care shouldn't be a major priority.

Associated Press
November 24, 2009

• 60 percent of Americans say they are following the health care debate very closely or fairly closely

"Most Americans don't expect a health care overhaul to affect their lives directly, but those who worry about the fallout outnumber those expecting to come out ahead, a poll out Tuesday has found."

• 57 percent said their own access to medical care would stay the same if health carere form is passed, 28 percent said they thought their access to care would get worse, 15 percent said they thought access to care would improve
• 61 percent said their personal financial situation would stay about the same if health care reform is passed, 27 percent said they thought the health care bill would make them worse off financially, 12 percent expected a financial improvement

Washington Post/ABC News
November 17, 2009

• 49 percent of Americans continue to oppose health care reform legisation

"A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Americans deeply divided over the proposals under consideration and majorities predicting higher costs ahead."

• 52 percent say an altered system would probably make their own care more expensive
  
• 48 percent say they support the proposed health care reform legislation changes

Consumers Union
October 5, 2009

• 25 percent of Americans have been unable to afford medical bills or medication

The Consumers Union survey of 1,002 adults from Sept. 17 to 20 found that among the ways people have tried to cut back on health care costs:

• 25 percent have been unable to afford medical bills or medication
• 20 percent skipped filling prescriptions
• 15 percent took expired medication
• 15 percent skipped scheduled dosages of prescription

The Greenlining Institute
September 14, 2009

• 78 percent of Americans see Washington’s side-deals with pharmaceutical industry deals as harmful to real healthcare reform

Last June, President Obama announced an $80 billion deal with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to cut costs of prescription medicine. This deal has been met with mixed reviews in Washington and now a poll released by the Greenlining Institute shows that Americans feel the same way with almost eight out of ten Americans saying these deals are hindering the healthcare reform effort. Read more.

Gallup
October 5, 2009

• 40 percent of Americans polled support health care reform legislation

A poll released by Gallup on October 5, 2009 shows that approval of health care reform legislation increased modestly from 38 percent approval in September to 40 percent in the first week of October. Read more.