The American Public on Health Care-The Missing Perspective - (Page 18)

What We Learned “Health care policy, like health care delivery itself, is at its best when the consumer is informed, engaged, and empowered. The Council for Excellence in Government’s recent town hall series invited those most affected by health policy into the conversation. What we heard from patients and consumers in those town halls will influence the course of health care reform in state capitols and in Washington.” Daniel Zingale Senior Advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Portability Americans favor making it easier for those who have coverage to take it with them when they move or change jobs. The concept of “portability” receives very strong support, with more than three-quarters (78%) favoring the right to take their health care coverage with them when they leave a job (see Figure I ). Majorities strongly favor government involvement in requiring health care providers to publish their performance ratings and costs for procedures and services. Another priority for government involvement is in guaranteeing access to health coverage through employers. The public favors government requiring large employers to provide insurance. They also want government to require that insurers cover pre-existing conditions, and to create national or regional health exchanges to allow insurance to be purchased across state lines. Government assistance to low-income individuals and families is also a priority to expand coverage to the uninsured. The Role of Government The American people have definite ideas about the role that government should play regarding health care. Reflecting the public’s understanding of the power of information, a top priority is guaranteeing access to quality and cost data. It’s noteworthy that one proposal for expanding coverage for the uninsured— allowing anyone to buy Medicare coverage at group rates, regardless of age—gets significantly less strong agreement than any other policy prescription surveyed. This is consistent with Gallup poll results over many years which show that the public has a preference for maintaining a system based on private insurance rather than a government-run health care system2 (see Figure J ). 2 Accessed at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/4708/Healthcare-System.aspx 18 http://www.gallup.com/poll/4708/Healthcare-System.aspx

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