Public opinion, knowledge, and Medicare reform.

A review of public opinion and focus-group research reveals consistently inadequate understanding of Medicare by the public and misinterpretation of public opinion information by policy advocates. Closer analysis of apparent conflicts in values related to self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and government, however, reveals strong support for the basic premises of social insurance embodied in Medicare. The likelihood of meaningful policy discussions about Medicare depends, in part, on whether the policy and research communities can find ways to provide the electorate with the knowledge they need to understand the implications of reform.