Poll: Majority Would Pay Higher Taxes For Universal Health Care

(CBS)

A majority of Americans would pay higher taxes if it meant health insurance for everyone, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll – though many worry that the nation's economy will suffer if the government were to offer universal health care.

The poll also finds that health care is a major domestic concern for Americans, second only to the economy.

Fifty-seven percent of those polled say they are willing to pay higher taxes in order to provide all Americans with health care coverage. While seventy three percent of Democrats favor a tax increase to fund coverage, only twenty-nine percent of Republicans back such a move.

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Read The Complete Poll (PDF)

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Asked which domestic policy area the president and the Congress should focus on other than the economy, thirty-five percent said health care, the top choice. The second most popular choice was education at twenty-two percent, followed by social security at seventeen percent and energy at fifteen percent.

Despite the overall concern about health care and desire to do something about it, opinions are mixed about the what universal health insurance could mean for the nation's economy.

Thirty-seven percent feel the economy will suffer if universal healthcare is implemented, while thirty-four percent say the economy will improve.

Again, differences follow party lines. Forty-six percent of Democrats feel the economy would be improved by guaranteed health insurance, while only twenty one percent of Republicans agree.

A majority of those surveyed say that providing health insurance for the uninsured is a more serious problem than keeping health care costs down, though by a narrower margin than two years ago.

When asked to choose between the two, fifty-four percent said providing health insurance for the uninsured is the more serious problem. Forty percent said keeping costs low was more important. In 2007, sixty-five percent of Americans said that proving universal health care was more important than low costs.

Fifty-nine percent of those polled say they have seen increase in health care costs compared to other household expenses in recent years. As a result, most are concerned about the health costs their family will face in the coming years; fifty-seven percent say they are "very" concerned about the costs. Those earning less than $50,000 a year are more likely to be very concerned than those with higher incomes.

More CBS News Polls Released Today:

Poll: Obama Approval Hits New High - 66%

Poll: 74 Percent Support Higher Taxes On The Rich

Poll: Support For Free Trade On The Rise

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 998 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone April 1-5, 2009. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[WWWoDEMOCRATZoORG]

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[charles786]

as a fellow tax payer, I would like to state my outrage with the system. Our tax dollars are going to rediculous things like people with herion addictions, and bi polar disorder. Stating that those people are unable to work cause their mood swings, while americans with missing limbs are fighting with the social security administration tooth and nail I am one who has been fighting for Temporary disability for 2 years, ever since I lost my left leg. Judge maloy of dallas texas disability ajudication and review. stated that "a missing limb is not grounds for disability" if we are to have universal health care it should be fair.

Charles Spencer

[tocnwth]

I do not believe providing a form of universal health care where all are insured will raise the total amount of money now spent on health care including medicaid and medicare.

My wife and I pay more than 12 thousand dolars a year for premiums plus copays for drugs and and deductibles for dental.

I have a friend that pays 1400 hundreds dollars a month for health insurance.

[noloyalisti]

We don't need to raise taxes if we get universal single payer health care. Unfortunately in fascist countries like America, where big corporations run the political parties, it won't happen (unless we all rise up and threaten general strikes until we get what is due us).

[lethalfang]

What if our great nation runs our firefighting service the way we run our health care service?
This is free market: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnjQ3cV4x1I&feature=related

[CCBrad]

Did anyone notice that the graph is labeled incorrectly? The Yes 57% is labeled on the smaller portion of the pie and the No 43% is labele on the larger portion of the pie. Journalism at it's best!

More importantly, doesn't it strike anyone that only 1,000 people were surveyed - hardly statistically relevant.

[FormerDemocrat]

Socialized medicine has been the life's work of Ted Kennedy. Since he is dying of a cancer that has no hope, the Socialists will persue this in his memory. The funny thing about Socialized medicine, the rich like the Kennedy's will still have enough of Daddy's money to pay private insurance. The Socialist will pass laws for the masses which they have no intention of living by.

[danwithers]

You don't know what you're taking about. My Dad doesn't pay any taxes.............he's a Republican

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OK, your Dad is the only Repub in the group. And you don't know what you're talking about if you don't believe the vast majority of non-tax-payers are Dems.

[sjc_1]

Most of the rushing them out the door comes from Medigap private companies. The elderly buy those policies and most of what they do is try to get the old folks out of the hospital to try and save money.

[bashdj]

While the Canadian Healthcare system has it's weaknesses, I can tell you one of the greatest advantages of a Universal Healthcare System:

No Fear ! No Stress !

Canadians walk around everyday not fearing getting sick or getting injured and not being able to pay for care. We have no fear of losing our homes or going bankrupt over a health issue. Sure it's not perfect and it needs work, but the peace-of-mind it gives us is priceless and a health benefit as well.

Created by Keifer Sutherland's grandfather no-less,lol

The critics and media in the U.S. like to run our Healthcare into the ground but don't believe everything you hear. It is very comforting to have our system.

Good luck in reforming yours.
I wish you all the peace of mind that we enjoy.