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January 15, 2008Health Care Reform and 2008 Elections: New Reports Examine Candidates' Plans, Public's Views |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Eighty-one percent of Americans believe that in order to help reach the goal of health insurance for all, employers should either provide health insurance to their workers or contribute to the cost of their coverage, according to survey data released today by The Commonwealth Fund. Nearly nine of 10 (88%) Democrats, nearly three-quarters (73%) of Republicans, and nearly four of five (79%) Independents would support such an employer "play or pay" requirement. Sixty-eight percent of Americans favor such a proposal, with 80 percent of Democrats in support, and more than half of Republicans (52%) and two-thirds of Independents (68%) in favor, according to a report on the survey findings, The Public's Views on Health Care Reform in the 2008 Presidential Election. The Commonwealth Fund today also released a report that describes and evaluates the Presidential candidates' health reform plans. The analysis found that both leading Democratic and Republican candidates seek to expand health coverage through the private insurance market, but the leading Democratic candidates would require employers to continue participating in the health insurance system either by providing coverage directly or contributing to the cost of their employees' coverage, whereas the Republicans support changes in the tax code that have the potential to significantly reduce the role of employers in the provision and financing of health insurance. "In some ways, the Republican proposals seek bigger changes to the way most people currently obtain coverage," said lead author Sara Collins, Assistant Vice President at The Commonwealth Fund.
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