Americans on health care reform: results from polls conducted with Zogby International, Inc.

During a time of uncertainty regarding the future of the American health care system, an assessment, over time, of Americans' opinion on different legislative or health policy directions is a valuable asset to decision makers. After polling over 10,000 Americans via three polls on these topics over four months, a few distinct trends have emerged. When it comes to health care reform, Americans want a "tune-up," not a "trade-in" of their health care system by implementing reforms that allow the system to work more efficiently for the largest number of people possible, paying for it through savings found by reducing extraneous and wasteful spending and by increasing the quality of care. A clear sense of equity is also evident, as a majority do not agree with insurance companies using pre-existing health conditions as a metric in determining eligibility and believe in mandating that those who are employed, except for the smallest companies, should be covered.