Opinion Poll Shows Americans Support Universal Coverage

Americans support universal health coverage, even if it means higher taxes, according to a recently published study by Catholic Healthcare West, California's largest not-for-profit hospital system.

The study, the "Health Security Index," (PDF file: 12 pages / 280 KB. More about PDFs.) found that 72 percent of respondents agreed that "the time has come for universal health care," and 63 percent agreed the time has come "even if it means increasing taxes." Responses were gathered from 1,771 adults nationwide.

The growing momentum for reform stems from Americans' falling sense of security about health care, the study authors say. Eighty-nine percent of survey respondents said they are concerned about the number of uninsured Americans, and 60 percent said they worry about their ability to afford health care services they need.

The survey also shows that

"The American public is growing restless with the lack of improvement in the U.S. health care system," the report says. "More than eight out of 10 U.S. adults believe health care is a fundamental right for every person, especially children, and Americans are looking to the government to act. … Most of the nation (83 percent) feels that Congress should make affordable health care for every member of society one of its top priorities for the coming year, and 72 percent believe the time has come for universal coverage."

The "Health Security Index" data support previous findings, which show health care is increasingly a top priority for Americans.

For instance, a Feb. 22-25 Gallup poll found that, when asked to name the "top priority for the president and Congress to deal with," 27 percent of Americans spontaneously cited health care as the top domestic concern and the second overall concern, behind Iraq. The response is the highest seen in more than a year for health care, according to Gallup.