According to the results of this survey, the public wants to have it both ways:
Nine in 10 respondents said health-care costs are too high. But eight in 10 called it very or extremely important that patients should have “freedom of choice” to pick insurers, hospitals and doctors. Some 72% said no one should be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, and 70% think care should be based on patients’ preferences and needs.
It is impossible to cut costs and not deny care. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans believe otherwise. Which is why true health care reform is a fantasy.
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- Wanting the same thing
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{ 1 comment }
You call them patients; we call them taxpayers. Taxes are too high but service levels should not only remain the same, they should improve (after all, if you live on a cul de sac farthest away from the town center, why shouldn’t you expect to have your street plowed first?). The only difference as far as I can see between these two situations is that taxpayers in the majority consider the “high-tax” problem caused by overpaid, overbenefitted municipal workers, whereas people pushing affordable health care keep mentioning efficiency, etc. You want to see the health-care business model of the future? The one that’s supported by taxpayer dollars? Check out your nearest municipality and make sure you pay attention to all the goodwill and appreciation heaped on municipal workers by the people who pay the cost.
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