About two thirds of people in the U.S. prefer the current system over a government-run alternative.
The results of a new American health care system poll have revealed that about two thirds of people in the United States would prefer the existing system to an alternative run by the government.
This data has arrived at a time in which U.S. health care has reached a peak controversial point.
The research results arrived at nearly the same time as headlines were made by U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) who has thrown her support behind “Medicare-for-All”. She made the statement during a CNN Town Hall interview in which Harris, who had recently declared herself a presidential candidate, drew attention to the wait times patients face in waiting for claims approvals and payments from their health insurance companies. “Let’s eliminate all of that. Let’s move on,” she said, as reported by Forbes.
That said, according to the most influential health insurance lobby, A.H.I.P., the poll was held before President Trump’s State of the Union address in order to show that Americans are in favor of the existing system and the role of private insurance companies within it. The poll said that “Americans would prefer the government to focus on making health care more affordable.” Its results showed that one in four people would prefer “the government to focus on getting more people covered.”
AHIP and Blue Cross and Blue Shield have been boosting marketing for their part in the American health care system.
The marketing efforts are increasing as Medicare For All becomes a top topic in debates and among policy positions for candidates. Furthermore, as the U.S. House of Representatives is now controlled by Democrats and proposals are being put forward regarding Medicare expansion, A.H.I.P. and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have a deep interest in keeping up support for private health care.
Harris isn’t alone among Democratic presidential candidates who are including Medicare For All as a portion of their presidency campaigns.
A.H.I.P.’s poll was conducted from January 16 through 18 “in conjunction with” Morning Consult from a “representative national sample of 1,756 adults with health insurance.”
A.H.I.P. represents some of the biggest players in the American health care system, including nationwide health insurance companies such as Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross and Blue Sheild, Centene and others.