Survey: Americans evenly split on role of healthcare interest groups in reform
A recent survey found that Americans have mixed feelings on the “appropriate roles” for various healthcare interest groups in Washington, D.C. The research, conducted by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health, also found that Americans feel they don't have enough influence over the healthcare debate and are generally pessimistic about the way Congress is dealing with healthcare legislation.
Although the survey was completed on Sept. 13, most of the interviews were conducted prior to President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform speech to Congress on Sept. 9. Participants included a comparable number of self-identified democrats, republicans and independents, as well as a similar number of individuals who identified themselves as liberal, moderate or conservative.
In the survey of 1,287 adult consumers, respondents were fairly divided about healthcare interest groups' involvement with government healthcare legislation. Forty-seven percent of consumers said interest groups were too narrowly focused on their own agendas and should not have a role in healthcare legislation and reform and 45 percent said they believe healthcare interest groups add an important perspective to the debate and should be included in the process. Similarly, 51 percent said interest groups will play an important role in implementing changes to healthcare reform, so it will be advantageous to have them on board with legislation, whereas 39 percent disagreed and said Congress should design the healthcare legislation with or without the support of interest groups.
Most consumers (71 percent) said Congress does not pay enough attention to their opinions regarding changes in the healthcare system that will affect workers, patients, consumers and others who feel they have a “stake in the debate.” Many participants said they did not know of an organization in Washington, D.C., that could help them express their concerns over these issues.
The survey also determined what healthcare interest groups consumers trusted most. Seventy-nine percent surveyed said they had “at least a fair amount of confidence” in nurses’ groups; 70 percent had confidence in groups representing patients; 65 percent had confidence in doctors’ groups and 64 percent in seniors’ groups. U.S. consumers also said they had the most faith in hospitals, doctors, patients and employers.
Also, interest groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business received higher scores because they were well known among consumers. More than half had confidence in other well-known interest groups, specifically doctors’ groups including the American Medical Association (62 percent) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (67 percent).
Consumers expressed the least trust in the following groups: labor unions at 43 percent; health insurance companies at 35 percent; groups representing major corporations at 32 percent and pharmaceutical companies at only 31 percent.
Participants said they had the least amount of trust in groups they believed to be responsible for current problems in the healthcare system, mainly pharmaceutical and health insurance companies.
Although the survey was completed on Sept. 13, most of the interviews were conducted prior to President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform speech to Congress on Sept. 9. Participants included a comparable number of self-identified democrats, republicans and independents, as well as a similar number of individuals who identified themselves as liberal, moderate or conservative.
In the survey of 1,287 adult consumers, respondents were fairly divided about healthcare interest groups' involvement with government healthcare legislation. Forty-seven percent of consumers said interest groups were too narrowly focused on their own agendas and should not have a role in healthcare legislation and reform and 45 percent said they believe healthcare interest groups add an important perspective to the debate and should be included in the process. Similarly, 51 percent said interest groups will play an important role in implementing changes to healthcare reform, so it will be advantageous to have them on board with legislation, whereas 39 percent disagreed and said Congress should design the healthcare legislation with or without the support of interest groups.
Most consumers (71 percent) said Congress does not pay enough attention to their opinions regarding changes in the healthcare system that will affect workers, patients, consumers and others who feel they have a “stake in the debate.” Many participants said they did not know of an organization in Washington, D.C., that could help them express their concerns over these issues.
The survey also determined what healthcare interest groups consumers trusted most. Seventy-nine percent surveyed said they had “at least a fair amount of confidence” in nurses’ groups; 70 percent had confidence in groups representing patients; 65 percent had confidence in doctors’ groups and 64 percent in seniors’ groups. U.S. consumers also said they had the most faith in hospitals, doctors, patients and employers.
Also, interest groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business received higher scores because they were well known among consumers. More than half had confidence in other well-known interest groups, specifically doctors’ groups including the American Medical Association (62 percent) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (67 percent).
Consumers expressed the least trust in the following groups: labor unions at 43 percent; health insurance companies at 35 percent; groups representing major corporations at 32 percent and pharmaceutical companies at only 31 percent.
Participants said they had the least amount of trust in groups they believed to be responsible for current problems in the healthcare system, mainly pharmaceutical and health insurance companies.