KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…?
11% On the whole, our health care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better50 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better37 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it.2 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during December, 1991 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,250. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…?
12% On the whole, our health care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better54 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better32 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it.2 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during April, 1991 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,250. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…?
21% On the whole, our health-care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better49 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better23 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it.7 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during October, 1989 and based on personal interviews with a national adult sample of 1,500. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…?
25% On the whole, our health-care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better48 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better23 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it5 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during October, 1988 and based on personal interviews with a national adult sample of 1,500. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…?
23% On the whole, our health-care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better51 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better21 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it.5 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during October, 1987 and based on personal interviews with a national adult sample of 1,500. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your overall view of the American health care system…? 28% On the whole, our health-care system works pretty well, and only minor changes are necessary to make it make work better51 There are some good things about our health care system, but major changes are needed to make it work better15 The American health care system has so much wrong with it that we need to completely rebuild it.6 Don’t know
Methodology: Conducted by Cambridge Reports/Research International during October, 1986 and based on personal interviews with a national adult sample of 1,500. Sample size is approximate. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Source: Polls conducted by Harris Interactive and based on telephone interviews with national adult samples (sizes noted above). Cited in: Blendon et. al. 2003. Americans’ views of the uninsured: An era for hybrid proposals. Health Affairs, Web Exclusive, W3 :405-414.
Kaiser Family Foundation Health Poll Report Survey
Now, I’m going to read you some different health care issues. As I read each one, please tell me how important you think it is for the President and Congress to deal with this issue – very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important. (First,) how important is this issue…?
Very important
Somewhat important
Not too important
Not at all important
Don’t Know/ Refused
Increasing the number of Americans covered by health insurance
75%
17%
4%
2%
2%
Lowering the cost of medical malpractice insurance for physicians
49%
34%
6%
6%
4%
Lowering the cost of prescription drugs
79%
16%
2%
2%
1%
Lowering the cost of health insurance
81%
15%
2%
2%
1%
Improving the quality of medical care
68%
21%
6%
4%
1%
Reducing racial disparities in medical care
53%
26%
7%
6%
9%
Helping families with the cost of caring for elderly or disabled family members who need long-term help
73%
22%
3%
2%
*
Protecting the privacy of medical records
60%
27%
8%
3%
2%
Which of the following issues you say are very important do you think is MOST important?
(Also includes those who named only one issue as very important.)
Note: *=less than .5%
Most important
Increasing the number of Americans covered by health insurance
19%
Lowering the cost of medical malpractice insurance for physicians
5%
Lowering the cost of prescription drugs
15%
Lowering the cost of health insurance
24%
Improving the quality of medical care
10%
Reducing racial disparities in medical care
2%
Helping families with the cost of caring for elderly or disabled family members who need long-term help
13%
Protecting the privacy of medical records
3%
Other issue is most important (volunteered)
1%
All the same/equally important (volunteered)
6%
None very important
2%
Don’t know/Refused
1%
Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, December 3-7, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,206.
Geoffrey Cowley, senior editor for health and medicine, NewsweekProject: The World Health Organization’s plan to extend AIDS treatment to 3 million more people by 2005. “Medicine Without Doctors,” June 19, 2004
Sharon Egiebor, executive editor, The Dallas ExaminerProject: The impact of HIV/AIDS on African-Americans in Dallas County, with special focus on teenagers.
Natalia Fedushchak, freelance reporterProject: HIV/AIDS in the Ukraine”CU tracks HIV in Ukranian addicts,” The Denver Post, November 30 2004
Regina McEnery, medical writer, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)Project: The impact and challenge of collaborative AIDS projects linking university researchers, physicians and anthropologists in Cleveland with those in Kampala, Uganda.Teaming Up Against AIDS is 3-part series on AIDS in Uganda”Case Battles Uganda Crisis,” November 21, 2004″Tracking a Killer’s Helper,” November 22, 2004″Focus turns to Affordable Treatment,” November 23, 2004
Kristi Nelson, health writer, Chandra Harris, staff writer, and Jeannine Hunter, staff writer, The Knoxville News SentinelProject: The changing face of AIDS in Southern Appalachia.”Living Positive: Faces of HIV/AIDS varied in East Tennessee“, Seven-part series, August 14-21, 2005
Sabin Russell, medical writer, The San Francisco ChronicleProject: The complexities and implications of the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic in India.”AIDS in India,” Five-Part Series, July 4, 2004
Seniors are confused about the Medicare prescription drug law. Selected findings from the January/February 2004 Kaiser Health Poll Report survey show that while about two-thirds of seniors report following the debate closely, just 15% say they understand the new prescription drug law very well and seven in 10 don’t know that it passed and was signed into law.
“Long Term Health Policy Implications” — Text of plenary speech prepared by Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman, Ph.D., for the National Medicare Prescription Drug Congress (Washington, D.C., February 26, 2004)
