Clinton's 1993 Health Care Speech Had Little Impact

By: Sarah Dutton
Topics: Poll Positions

(CBS)

As the country awaits President Barack Obama's speech on health care reform Wednesday night, it might be helpful to take a look at the impact of a similar speech then-President Bill Clinton made about health care reform in September 1993. To what extent did that speech affect -- or not affect -- the debate over health care?

Sixteen years ago, views of the U.S. health care system were very negative -- much as they are now. Nine in ten Americans felt the U.S. health care system needed fundamental changes or to be completely rebuilt. At the time, many thought the system was headed for a financial crisis.

But there was confusion: in September of 1993, most Americans didn't have a clear view of how President Clinton's health care reform plans would affect them. A CBS News/New York Times Poll conducted just before President Clinton's speech found that only 13 percent of Americans had a good understanding of what the Clinton health care plan would mean to them, and 84 percent felt it was too early to tell.

Forty percent felt that the reforms the president was proposing were fair to people like themselves, but almost as many, 36 percent, felt they were not fair. In addition, the public was divided, 41 percent to 41 percent, as to whether the Clinton plan would bring about the changes the health care system needed. And Mr. Clinton's job approval rating was 43 percent, with nearly as many, 42 percent, disapproving.

Late in September, the president gave a speech on health care reform.

A CBS News Poll conducted in early October showed the speech as having a limited impact. The percentage who felt they had a clear understanding of what the Clinton health care reform plan would mean rose just a bit, from 13 percent to 23 percent. And while there was a modest increase in the percentage of Americans who thought Mr. Clinton's reforms were fair to them -- from 40 percent before the speech to 45 percent -- the percentage that thought the plan would make health care better dropped slightly, from 46 percent to 43 percent.

By mid-October, Americans were reacting to the health care plan just as they did before Mr. Clinton's September 22 address to the nation. Much of the improvement in perception that occurred after the speech had disappeared; Americans were evenly divided on whether the plan would be fair to them, and were also divided on Mr. Clinton's handling of health care reform. By mid-October, only 18 percent said they had a good understanding of the plan.

(CBS)

Mr. Clinton's approval rating rose in the initial weeks after the speech, but that didn't last either. In that early October poll, his overall job approval rating rose to 48 percent, but by mid-October, a CBS News Poll found it had fallen back to where it was before the speech – 43 percent. Views of Mr. Clinton's handling of health care experienced a similar short-lived uptick after the speech, with a subsequent return to pre-speech levels.

Back to the health care debate in 2009. Much of the public still views health care as needing fundamental change or to be completely rebuilt, and Americans express concerns about the quality of care and the cost of reform.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

And as in 1993, Americans in 2009 aren't clear what the reform proposals being discussed would mean for them. A CBS News Poll conducted at the end of August found two thirds of Americans saying they don't understand the proposals being discussed by members of Congress, and by two to one, Americans did not think Mr. Obama had clearly explained his plans for health care reform.

The public's approval of how Mr. Obama is handling health care fell six points between July and August, and now more Americans disapprove (47 percent) than approve (40 percent).

It remain to be seen whether Mr. Obama's experience with health care -- and a speech designed to communicate his plans for reform -- is different, or the same as, Mr. Clinton's.

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Sarah Dutton is the CBS News director of surveys. Poll Positions is weekly Hotsheet feature on polling trends from the CBS News Survey and Polling Unit. Click here for more posts from the series.

Sarah Dutton
Sarah Dutton is the CBS News director of surveys.
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by dzm1982 November 24, 2009 3:51 AM EST: I think at the end of the day Clinton was a great president for US, even with all his shortcomings in place. And that's not just my opnion, look what famous peers said about Bill Clinton:

http://www.tributespaid.com/quotes-on/bill-clinton; Reply to this comment


by jab232 September 9, 2009 8:49 AM EDT: I hope the speech has impact, but this is not about President Obama or his speech. It is about people who know they will lose their insurance when they get sick. It is about people who know insurance premiums will double in the next ten years. Whatever you or your small business is paying now, it will be twice as much ten years from now.

It is about forty-five to fifty million uninsured, millions under insured, millions with high deductibles, low caps, with the constant threat of rescission being held over their heads.

It is also about millionaire health care and insurance CEOs and billion-dollar corporations whose excessive wealth is based on insuring mostly healthy people. And finally, it is about justice. It is about changing this society where the very wealthy get exponentially richer by laying ordinary people off, taking their health care, retirements and homes.

The Congressional Democrats are a bunch of wusses. This nation desperately needs them to act on a long-term problem which is destroying many of its people. And they fiddle around worrying about whether they will be re-elected. We need the public option!; Reply to this comment


by babooph September 9, 2009 2:41 AM EDT: As I predicted-there was a dem congress,so the dems had to sell out their own party & the public& take over for the republicans-just like now.; Reply to this comment


by signseeker1717 September 9, 2009 12:27 AM EDT: Wyotour, where did you Learn how to Capitalize all Your Big Important Words? Sorry, You Don't Have Any Hope for the Future, but Most of Us DO. Mr. President, God speed.; Reply to this comment


by DoubleHappiness88 September 8, 2009 11:45 PM EDT: Health care is dead. The GOP (Guardians of Privilege) has rigged the game.

See:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29988909/sick_and_wrong/print; Reply to this comment


by DoubleHappiness88 September 8, 2009 11:41 PM EDT: Health care is dead. The GOP (Gardians of Privilege) have rigged the game.

SEE:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29988909/sick_and_wrong/print; Reply to this comment


by stopoil September 8, 2009 10:05 PM EDT: The US has such a large economy and therefore so much wealth at stake for the Republicans who control it, that the right wing Republicans will say and do anything to tear down a Democrat to maintain the status quo. Therefore, they make up lies, scare people, organize protests, on health care, alternative energy, global warming,.... a well intended speech by the President to students for G-d sake. Truth goes out the window with these people. Their self interest in their power vs. the ordinary American is no match. Even with the electoral victories for the Democrats the influence of money within the system ie corporate America, will continue to corrupt enough Congressmen to keep the status quo.; Reply to this comment


by lami987 September 8, 2009 8:43 PM EDT: We don't even know exactly what Obama is saying NOW about reforming health care, we certainly won't know anything about what Clinton said in 1993. We do pay a lot of attention to gossips and speculations though. Whoever spend the most on loud-mouths spreading gossips and speculations will be the winner. But we the people may become the losers.; Reply to this comment


by Hosheen September 8, 2009 8:14 PM EDT: It doesn't matter what Obama says. The neo-con detractors will hate it, distort anything he says and scream, "socialism" and any scare phrases they can think of. The Obama supporters won't listen, either and swear that every word is true and that it will be the salvation of health care for millions.

In the end, congress will make a disaster out of any plan and America will still fall far behind every other developed nation in the world.; Reply to this comment


by lovegetpeace September 8, 2009 8:12 PM EDT: A majority of Americans do not care about reading the highlight of any Bill in Congress even if its as easy as right on the Congress website. If the bill must be written in legislative language, Americans will not read it period. If the bill must be 1000 pages long because the program is complicated by nature, Americans will not read it period.

Therefore, Americans resort to the Most Convenience method like listening someone else such the Republicans and conservative media. Of course, the Republican and Conservative political motives are to provide lies, mis-information, fear and confusion with the hope to bring down a President of a different political party.

In the end, Republicans and conservatives will lose because as long as the Cost of Health Care increases at the average 11% inflation rate of the last 30 years, Universal Health Care will come eventually sooner or later.

Like the Greed of Banks, Houses, Insurance, Investment industry, the Greed of the Health Care industry will KAAABOOOM!; Reply to this comment