To begin… What do you think is the most important problem in health or health care for the government to address? Is there another health problem you think is almost as important?

Asked of half sample

6-03

COSTS (NET)

38

Cost of prescription drugs/medicines

16

Cost of health care

17

Cost of insurance/affordable insurance

6

Costs – other (incl. doctor and hospital costs)

2

SENIORS’ ISSUES (NET)

19

Senior citizens’ care/ issues (incl. Social Security)

10

Medicare

4

Coverage of rx drugs (for elderly/Medicare)

6

ACCESS TO CARE AND INSURANCE (NET)

23

Universal coverage / coverage for uninsured

13

Health care availability (general)

5

Health care for the poor

3

Access to health care – other (incl. staff cutbacks and difficulties w/pre-existing conditions)

2

MEDICAL CONDITIONS (NET)

16

AIDS/AIDS research/HIV

4

Cancer/Cancer Research

6

Medical Conditions/ Procedures – other

10

INSURANCE COMPANY CONCERNS (NET)

6

Health insurance (general)

5

HMO/Managed care concerns

2

OTHER POLICY (NET)

8

Children’s care/issues

3

Quality of care

1

Other policy/social issues (incl. abortion, drug abuse, Medicaid, etc.)

3

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted June 5-8, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,210.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem in health or health care for the government to address? Is there another health problem you think is almost as important?

Asked of half sample

8-03

COSTS (NET)

42

Cost of prescription drugs/medicines

17

Cost of health care

21

Cost of insurance/affordable insurance

6

Costs – other (incl. doctor and hospital costs)

2

SENIORS’ ISSUES (NET)

22

Senior citizens’ care/ issues (incl. Social Security)

11

Medicare

6

Coverage of rx drugs (for elderly/Medicare)

6

ACCESS TO CARE AND INSURANCE (NET)

19

Universal coverage / coverage for uninsured

12

Health care availability (general)

4

Health care for the poor

2

Access to health care – other (incl. staff cutbacks and difficulties w/pre-existing conditions)

2

MEDICAL CONDITIONS (NET)

11

AIDS/AIDS research/HIV

3

Cancer/Cancer Research

4

Medical Conditions/ Procedures – other

7

INSURANCE COMPANY CONCERNS (NET)

8

Health insurance (general)

7

HMO/Managed care concerns

2

OTHER POLICY (NET)

9

Children’s care/issues

2

Quality of care

3

Other policy/social issues (incl. abortion, drug abuse, Medicaid, etc.)

3

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted August 7-10, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,202.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem in health or health care for the government to address? Is there another health problem you think is almost as important?

Asked of half sample

12-03

COSTS (NET)

35

Cost of prescription drugs/medicines

16

Cost of health care

15

Cost of insurance/affordable insurance

6

Costs – other (incl. doctor and hospital costs)

1

SENIORS’ ISSUES (NET)

25

Senior citizens’ care/ issues (incl. Social Security)

9

Medicare

11

Coverage of rx drugs (for elderly/Medicare)

7

ACCESS TO CARE AND INSURANCE (NET)

14

Universal coverage / coverage for uninsured

8

Health care availability (general)

3

Health care for the poor

1

Access to health care – other (incl. staff cutbacks and difficulties w/pre-existing conditions)

2

MEDICAL CONDITIONS (NET)

9

AIDS/AIDS research/HIV

2

Cancer/Cancer Research

2

Medical Conditions/ Procedures – other

6

INSURANCE COMPANY CONCERNS (NET)

8

Health insurance (general)

6

HMO/Managed care concerns

2

OTHER POLICY (NET)

7

Children’s care/issues

2

Quality of care

1

Other policy/social issues (incl. abortion, drug abuse, Medicaid, etc.)

2

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted Dec 3-7, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,206.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem for the government to address? Is there another problem you think is almost as important for the government to address?

Asked of half sample

Aug-03

ECONOMY (NET)

39

The economy

25

Unemployment

11

Poverty/homelessness

3

HEALTH CARE (NET)

13

Health care/health care reform

7

Medicare

2

Health insurance

1

Prescription drug costs

2

WAR/FOREIGN POLICY (NET)

17

War/Situation with Iraq

6

War (general)

6

Foreign policy/Foreign relations

2

World peace/Peace in the Middle East

1

TERRORISM/NATIONAL SECURITY (NET)

13

Terrorism/Sept. 11 attacks

5

National security

5

War on terrorism

1

EDUCATION (NET)

9

TAXES/BUDGET (NET)

10

National budget/deficit

5

Taxes/tax reform

5

Reduce government spending

1

CRIME (NET)

5

Crime/violence

2

Drug problems

1

SOCIAL SECURITY (NET)

2

OTHER GOVERNMENT ISSUES (NET)

9

Honesty in government

2

Size of government is too large

*

Other

6

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted August 7-10, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,202.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem for the government to address? Is there another problem you think is almost as important for the government to address?

Asked of half sample

Dec-03

ECONOMY (NET)

28

The economy

16

Unemployment

7

Poverty/homelessness

5

HEALTH CARE (NET)

14

Health care/health care reform

7

Medicare

3

Health insurance

2

Prescription drug costs

1

WAR/FOREIGN POLICY (NET)

28

War/Situation with Iraq

12

War (general)

11

Foreign policy/Foreign relations

2

World peace/Peace in the Middle East

1

TERRORISM/NATIONAL SECURITY (NET)

8

Terrorism/Sept. 11 attacks

4

National security

3

War on terrorism

1

EDUCATION (NET)

6

TAXES/BUDGET (NET)

7

National budget/deficit

4

Taxes/tax reform

3

Reduce government spending

1

CRIME (NET)

4

Crime/violence

2

Drug problems

1

SOCIAL SECURITY (NET)

3

OTHER GOVERNMENT ISSUES (NET)

7

Honesty in government

—

Size of government is too large

1

Other

5

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted Dec 3-7, 2003 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,206.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem for the government to address? Is there another problem you think is almost as important for the government to address?

Asked of half sample

Feb-04

ECONOMY (NET)

37

The economy

17

Unemployment

15

Poverty/homelessness

4

HEALTH CARE (NET)

22

Health care/health care reform

12

Medicare

3

Health insurance

3

Prescription drug costs

2

WAR/FOREIGN POLICY (NET)

20

War/Situation with Iraq

10

War (general)

8

Foreign policy/Foreign relations

1

World peace/Peace in the Middle East

*

TERRORISM/NATIONAL SECURITY (NET)

14

Terrorism/Sept. 11 attacks

5

National security

8

War on terrorism

1

EDUCATION (NET)

12

TAXES/BUDGET (NET)

11

National budget/deficit

6

Taxes/tax reform

5

Reduce government spending

1

CRIME (NET)

5

Crime/violence

2

Drug problems

2

SOCIAL SECURITY (NET)

5

OTHER GOVERNMENT ISSUES (NET)

8

Honesty in government

2

Size of government is too large

1

Other

6

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted February 5-8, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,201.

To begin… What do you think is the most important problem in health or health care for the government to address? Is there another health problem you think is almost as important?

Asked of half sample

2-04

COSTS (NET)

44

Cost of prescription drugs/medicines

22

Cost of health care

18

Cost of insurance/affordable insurance

10

Costs – other (incl. doctor and hospital costs)

2

SENIORS’ ISSUES (NET)

24

Senior citizens’ care/ issues (incl. Social Security)

11

Medicare

9

Coverage of rx drugs (for elderly/Medicare)

5

ACCESS TO CARE AND INSURANCE (NET)

23

Universal coverage / coverage for uninsured

16

Health care availability (general)

4

Health care for the poor

1

Access to health care – other (incl. staff cutbacks and difficulties w/pre-existing conditions)

2

MEDICAL CONDITIONS (NET)

17

AIDS/AIDS research/HIV

6

Cancer/Cancer Research

5

Medical Conditions/ Procedures – other

9

INSURANCE COMPANY CONCERNS (NET)

6

Health insurance (general)

5

HMO/Managed care concerns

1

OTHER POLICY (NET)

9

Children’s care/issues

2

Quality of care

2

Other policy/social issues (incl. abortion, drug abuse, Medicaid, etc.)

4

Note: Adds up to more than 100 percent because respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, conducted February 5-8, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,201.

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…?

Among TOTAL Respondents

Very Important

Somewhat Important

Not too Important

Not at all Important

DK/Ref.

Increasing the number of Americans covered by health insurance

77

16

3

2

2

Lowering the cost of medical malpractice insurance for physicians

53

31

7

5

5

Lowering the cost of prescription drugs

82

13

2

2

1

Lowering the cost of health insurance

82

13

2

2

1

Improving the quality of medical care

70

20

5

3

2

Reducing racial disparities in medical care

58

22

5

8

7

Helping families with the cost of caring for elderly or disabled family members who need long-term help

75

21

2

1

1

Protecting the privacy of medical records

61

28

6

3

1

Which of the following issues you say are very important do you think is MOST important? ‡

Among TOTAL Respondents (Summary)

25% Lowering the cost of health insurance21 Increasing the number of Americans covered by health insurance15 Lowering the cost of prescription drugs11 Helping families with the cost of caring for elderly or disabled family members who need long-term help9 Improving the quality of medical care5 Lowering the cost of medical malpractice insurance for physicians3 Protecting the privacy of medical records1 Reducing racial disparities in medical care1 (VOL.) Other issue is most important6 (VOL.) All the same/equally important1 None Very Important1 Don’t know/Refused

‡ Also includes those who named only one issue as “very important”

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, February 5-8, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,201.

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Exhibit 2.1: Trends in Health Coverage for the Nonelderly Population, 2002 and 2003

The percent of the nonelderly population without insurance rose from 17.3% in 2002 to 17.7% in 2003 (or 44.7 million uninsured), an increase of 1.4 million over 2002. The proportion of Americans with employer-based insurance declined from 63.3% in 2002 to 61.9% in 2003.

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Notes: Medicaid/Other Public includes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, other state programs, Medicare, and military-related coverage. Medicare and military coverage represent 2% of health coverage among the nonelderly.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Health Insurance Coverage in America, 2003 Data Update, November 2004, Table 1, p.28, at http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7153.cfm, prepared by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, and the Urban Institute using data from the Census Bureau’s March Supplements to the Current Population Survey.

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Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care MarketplaceInformation provided by the Health Care Marketplace Project.Publication Number: 7031Information Updated: 02/02/05

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Exhibit 1.1: National Health Expenditures and Their Share of Gross Domestic Product, 1960-2004

Expenditures in the United States on health care were nearly $1.9 trillion in 2004, more than two and a half times the $717 billion spent in 1990, and more than seven times the $255 billion spent in 1980. The approximately $1.9 trillion in national health expenditures (NHE) in 2004 represents 16.0% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), three times larger than the industry’s share in 1960. About half of this increase occurred from 1980 to 1993, when health as a share of the GDP rose from 9.1% to 13.8%. Health care as a share of GDP remained roughly constant during the rest of the 1990s, began to rise fairly rapidly after 2000, but leveled off in 2004.

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Notes: With the 2004 estimates, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) incorporated new concepts, methods, and data sources in the National Health Expenditure Accounts and revised the entire time series back to 1960. According to CMS, the most important revisions were the introduction of estimates of investment in medical equipment and software, expanded estimates of investment in medical-sector structures, and the use of updated data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2002 Economic Census and other sources. Overall, these changes raised the estimates of health spending 3-4% for nearly all years prior to 2004.

Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group, at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/ (see Historical; NHE summary including share of GDP, CY 1960-2004; file nhegdp04.zip).

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Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care MarketplaceInformation provided by the Health Care Marketplace Project.Publication Number: 7031Information Updated: 02/08/06