August 8th, 2008
Do 4 in 5 of us want real health care reform?
That’s what the Commonwealth Fund is arguing, with a survey of 1,014 adults backing the contentions in its latest report, “Organizing the U.S. Health Care Delivery System for High Performance.”
The report describes the attributes it says people want, and recommendations on how to achieve a system which meets those needs, but it’s the poll that made the news headlines.
The headline number was achieved by combining those who said the system needs a complete rebuilding (32%) with those who call for fundamental change (50%).
You can argue about the meaning of that. Would the Republican call for Health Savings Accounts and simple catastrophic plans qualify as fundamental change? Or must coverage be guaranteed to all in order to qualify?
But it’s the financial numbers that stood out for me:
- An insurance plan for an American family of four cost $11,381 in 2006, up from $4,954 in 1996.
- The employee share of that cost was $2,890 per family in 2006, double the $1,275 of 1996.
- Americans spent $6,697 per capita on health care in 2005, 16 % of GDP, while Canadians spent $3,326 or 9.8%.
- Despite this Americans had more trouble getting in to doctors, suffered more medical errors, and were more likely to go without treatment altogether.
The Fund called for pre-payment of premiums for everyone (a form of universal insurance), set fees for procedures rather than a la carte, and more use of pay for performance (p4p).
While the Commonwealth Fund was founded by a Standard Oil heiress, its reports the last few years have delivered a steady drumbeat of backing for what are essentially Democratic Party goals in health reform.
Will 4 in 5 voters surveyed really vote based on that preference? It’s doubtful. But if only one-tenth that number switch, it could turn a close election into a landslide.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 08/08/08
