Poll: Public Backs Medicaid

Survey Finds It Ranks Ahead Of Defense, Foreign Aid In Importance

(AP)  The public's view of Medicaid becomes relevant as lawmakers grapple with how to slow the growth of the program by $10 billion over the next five years, which amounts to less than 1 percent of total spending during those years. Combined, the federal government and states will spend more than $300 billion this year on Medicaid.

The survey showed that 44 percent of respondents preferred the federal government maintain the current level of spending for Medicaid, 36 percent preferred increasing federal spending, 12 percent wanted to cut federal spending, and 7 percent didn't know.

When respondents were asked about their state's budget problems, most respondents, 74 percent, cited Medicaid costs as a reason for those problems.

But when asked how the states should resolve those budget problems, the response was decidedly mixed with 24 percent saying that programs other than Medicaid should be cut — such as education, transportation and prisons — to 21 percent who said Medicaid should be cut. Another 21 percent said the state should raise taxes. The remaining 34 percent had other suggestions or didn't know.

"Proposals to cut funding for the program or scale back the coverage it offers do not appear to be popular with the public," concluded Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Many of those who support trimming the program's growth say they believe it can be done without cutting services, such as by reducing the amounts paid to drug companies for prescription drugs.