May 6, 2009, Group Health/Kaiser Foundation Health Care Reform Speech

Mollyann Brodie, vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research for the Kaiser Foundation, spoke at a Group Health breakfast meeting that I attended recently. Her topic was public opinion on health care reform. Here are my notes on her presentation. For more information, go to www.kaiserfoundation.org.

Attempts at health care reform are not new. They date back to the Truman Administration, where reform was derailed by cries of "socialism" (sound familiar?). Approximately every 19.7 years after that, another attempt is made--once in the Nixon administration (Wilbur Mills was a leading light but got sidetracked by Fanny Fox) and once in the Clinton administration (Harry & Louise were the culprits). So if we don't achieve health care reform now, it could be another 20 years.

Sixty-two% believe that now more than ever, we need to deal with health care. Seventy-five % believe that the federal government should do more and spends too little on health care. In the abstract, 67% want some sort of public plan, but only 41% support a single payer public plan. That said, the public is evenly divided on what might be the best approach.

It is a common misconception that most of the uninsured are unemployed. The truth is that 8 of 10 of the uninsured are employed.

Most people believe that health care reform will benefit the country, but only forty-three percent believe that health care reform will make life better for them or their families. Affordability is the biggest issue. As a group, Americans are simply not interested in what has worked in other countries; they are convinced that other countries' systems are bad.

What makes now different than previous attempts at reform? Ms. Brodie believes that some of the factors are that President Obama made health care reform an early priority, he has left the details to Congress rather than try to prescribe them from the Oval Office, and that the interest groups see things differently this time around.

Here is what to look for as the health care debate goes forward:

1. Whose ox will be gored? Who is going to have to make sacrifices?

2. What is the tenor of the political discussion?

3. What are the reactions of the interest groups?

4. What do the ad campaigns look like?

5. And the most important, do people think they will be better or worse off? Keep in mind that right now, while 56% think that health care reform will benefit the country, only 43% believe that it will benefit them or their families. It is this perception that needs to change so that health care reform can be successful.