Survey Finds Americans Favor Democratic Health Care Proposals

Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease

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Participate in live Health Care 2008: Presidential Candidate Forums with Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Ask questions about his health plans potential impact on coverage for mental health, addictions treatment services.

On Wednesday, October 31, at 11:00 am ET, Sen. McCain will participate in a live webcast to discuss his vision for health reform and the uninsured. Participants will have the opportunity to submit comments to each candidate prior to the webcast.

Sen. McCain's health care plan can be found at: www.johnmccain.com/healthcare/.  Sen. McCain's health care proposal relies heavily on private market solutions. The National Council encourages members to submit questions about how people with mental illness and addictions will be affected by this plan prior to the webcast.

Sample questions you may wish to ask Sen. McCain:

Sample Question 1: Traditionally, private insurance hasnt covered the kinds of services people with mental illness and addictions need. What will your plan do to ensure people with mental illness and/or addictions receive the care they need?

Sample Question 2: New research indicates that people with serious mental illness - which include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major clinical depression die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population.  Sixty percent of premature deaths in persons with schizophrenia are due to medical conditions such as cardiovascular, pulmonary and infectious disease. Does your plan have a care coordination or care management aspect to ensure people who have both a mental illness and/or an addiction as well as a chronic physical health condition will receive the care they need?

To submit a question for Senator McCain, go to: www.health08.org/presidentialforums/question.cfm  

Questions will be presented to the panel of journalists moderating the event for consideration. Please share any questions you submit with the National Council. E-mail any questions you submit to Tammy Seltzer at tammys@thenationalcouncil.org.  

The Health Care 2008: Presidential Candidate Forums will be moderated by a panel of leading health journalists from The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer, ABC News, National Public Radio, and The Wall Street Journal. The series of Forums are being organized by Families USA and the Federation of American Hospitals, produced by MacNeil-Lehrer Productions and hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in its Barbara Jordan Conference Center. The Foundations health news and information site, http://presidentialforums.health08.org/, will provide a live webcast of each forum. Shortly after the live webcast, an archived webcast, transcript and podcast will be available.

Future Health Care 2008: Presidential Candidate Forums include:

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)  TBA
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR)  TBA
Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)  TBA
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)  TBA

Past Health Care 2008: Presidential Candidate Forums are available online. These archived forums include:

Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)  October 25, 2007
Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)  October 25, 2007
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)  October 18, 2007
Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)  September 24, 2007

See the live archived forums at http://presidentialforums.health08.org/   

A recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg survey found that U.S. adults favor the central elements of Democratic presidential candidates health care proposals over the ideas set forth by the Republican candidates. In addition, most adultssix in 10are willing to give up some of President Bushs tax cuts if it would provide for health care for all Americans.

According to the survey, 62% of U.S. adults favor a requirement that large employers offer health insurance to employeesa provision included in health care proposals from Democratic candidates Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.)and 31% oppose such a requirement. In addition, the survey found that 51% favor a requirement that individuals obtain health insurancea provision included in the Clinton and Edwards proposalswhile 39% oppose such a requirement.

Health care proposals from former New York City Major Rudy Giuliani (R) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), Republican front runners in most polls, include tax credits to help individuals purchase private health insurance. This approach is less popular, with only 44% in favor and 45% opposed, according to the survey.

In addition, the survey found that 53% favor an expansion of Medicare to all U.S. residents and that 36% oppose such an expansion. Several of the Democratic candidatesClinton, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich and Richardsonhave proposed some type of Medicare expansion. The survey found mixed results when it came to who is responsible for health care, with 23% citing employers as responsible for the provision of health insurance, compared with 24% who cite individuals and 19% who cite both. Twenty-nine percent said the government is responsible for securing health insurance.

For more information on the survey, click here.

The National Council belongs to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), a coalition of more than 80 patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts who have joined together to raise awareness of the policies and practices that save lives and reduce health costs through more effective prevention and management of chronic disease. PFCD is looking for people willing to join speakers bureaus in targeted statesIowa, New Hampshire, Ohio and South Carolinaand people who are willing to travel to speak in those states. The New Hampshire Behavioral Healthcare Association, a National Council state association,  recently volunteered to work with the PFCD speakers bureau, and we look forward to reporting on their activities.

If you are interested in participating on the state level with PFCD, please contact Tammy Seltzer, Director of State Policy, at 301-984-6200, ext. 234, or tammys@thenationalcouncil.org. As speakers or hosts are needed in other states, we will let you know.

The National Council would like to hear what youve been doing to educate the presidential candidates or the voters about your work and the issues you care about. Please contact Tammy Seltzer, Director of State Policy, at 301-984-6200, ext. 234 or tammys@thenationalcouncil.org. If youve held an event, please send us photos with your written description.