Americans on Health Care Policy

APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE
August 30, 2000

Date: June 23 – July 9, 2000
Sample Size: 652 Respondents
Margin of error: +/-4%

Results (including demographics) are weighted to the Bureau of the Census’s Current Population Study for education level and age.

I'm going to read you several topics that may be discussed and debated during the upcoming election. In the context of your making a decision to vote for one candidate or another, please tell me how important it is to you to know each of the following things. For each one, answer on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 meaning not at all important and 10 meaning extremely important. The (first/next) one is [randomized]:

1. A candidate's position on Social Security
Mean	8.12
Median	9.00
DK / refused	-
2. A candidate's position on health care
Mean	8.35
Median	9.00
DK / refused	-
3. A candidate's position on Education
Mean	8.52
Median	9.00
DK / refused	0.10%
4. A candidate's position on foreign policy and defense
Mean	7.27
Median	8.00
DK / refused	1.6%

Statement: Now I would like to ask you a few questions about health care.

[For Q5-Q7, respondents heard Q5 either first or last, randomly] 5. I would like to know how concerned you are about the possibility that at some point you will not be able to afford health insurance. Please answer on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not at all concerned and 10 being extremely concerned. [If says "don't have insurance now" ASK:] How much does that concern you?
Mean	8.05
Median	10.00
DK / refused	0.5%
6. As you probably know, many Americans do NOT have health insurance. Please tell me how much that concerns you, using a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being not at all concerned and 10 being extremely concerned.
Mean	8.28
Median	9.00
DK / refused	1.2%
7. How much do you think the average American is concerned that many Americans do not have health insurance. Again, please answer on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not at all concerned and 10 being extremely concerned.
Mean	6.24
Median	6.00
DK / refused	4.3%

Currently, there is some debate about whether the federal government should or should not expand health insurance coverage to more uninsured Americans. I'm going to read you some statements for and against the idea that the government should expand health insurance coverage. For each one, please tell me whether you find it convincing or not convincing. Here's the first one: [Q8 and Q9 random order]

8. Millions of Americans do not have health insurance, are not always able to get health care when they need it, and some face financial crisis if they or their children become ill. The government has a responsibility to expand health insurance coverage to more Americans. Do you find that statement convincing or not convincing?
Convincing	68.0
Not convincing	30.2
Don't Know	1.8
Refused	.1
9. The government is already involved in trying to do too many things. Expanding health insurance coverage is another example of the government getting involved in something that is better left to individual initiative. Do you find that statement convincing or not convincing?
Convincing	29.6
Not convincing	67.9
Don't Know	2.4
Refused	.1
10. So now, having considered these arguments, do you think the federal government should or should not expand health insurance coverage to more Americans?
Should expand	77.8
Should not expand	18.0
Don't Know	3.6
Refused	.6
Now I'm going to ask you about some ideas to expand health insurance coverage to various groups of people.
11. One group is full-time workers who do not receive health insurance coverage from their employers. Some people feel that businesses should be required to pay for private health insurance for their employees, while others think that this would be too much of a burden for some businesses. Would you favor or oppose a new law that would require businesses to pay for private health insurance for their full-time employees?
Favor	63.8
Oppose	32.8
Don't Know	2.4
Refused	1.0
12. Another group is part-time workers. Some people say this is the group of workers who are most in need of health coverage, but others say that businesses cannot afford to cover every part-time worker. Would you favor or oppose a new law that would require businesses to offer to pay a percentage of health insurance costs for part-time workers based on how many hours they work per week?
Favor	71.0
Oppose	26.7
Don't Know	2.2
Refused	.1
13. Another group is people who are unemployed but looking for work. Some people say the federal government should provide health insurance to these people. Others say that this would put too great a burden on taxpayers. Would you favor or oppose a federal program to provide health insurance to people who are unemployed, provided they are actively looking for work and registered at the unemployment office?
Favor	57.9
Oppose	37.4
Don't Know	4.6
Refused	.1
14. Another issue that is currently being discussed is the rising cost of prescription drugs. Here are two arguments about whether the government should limit how much drug companies can charge for drugs for which they have an exclusive patent. Tell me which one comes closer to your view. [random reverse order] A. Because drug companies have a monopoly on some drugs they develop, they are not limited by competition and can charge very high prices. If drug companies are making excessive profits on these drugs, the government should step in and regulate the price, just like they regulate monopolies like gas and electric companies. B. Though prices for drugs may seem high, drug companies have to spend a great deal of research money to discover new drugs. The government should not limit how much drug companies can charge, because this will discourage them from doing important research on life-saving drugs.
Statement A	70.8
Statement B	24.6
Don't Know	4.5
Refused	.2
To cut medical costs, some people have suggested that health insurance companies could offer savings if an individual would agree in advance to accept certain inconveniences or limits on the treatments that the insurance company would pay for. Now, I'm going to read you some examples. For each one, I'd first like to know if you think it would be acceptable for insurance companies to offer such an option; and second, I'd like to know if you think you might choose such an option for yourself if it were offered and the savings were substantial. Here is the (first/next) example. [Blocs Q15/16, Q17/18, Q19/20 random order]
15. An insurance company could offer savings if the individual would accept waiting longer for treatment that is not urgent, or traveling a greater distance for specialized care. Would it be acceptable, or not acceptable, for insurance companies to offer such an option?
Acceptable	47.9
Not acceptable	49.8
Don't Know	2.2
Refused	.1
16. Do you think this is or is not an option you might choose for yourself, if it would substantially lower your health insurance costs?
Yes	46.9
No	50.1
Don't Know	2.8
Refused	.2
17. An insurance company could offer savings if the individual would agree in advance that the company would not pay for new treatments if the demonstrated success rate was less than 25 percent. Would it be acceptable, or not acceptable, for insurance companies to offer such an option?
Acceptable	40.2
Not acceptable	53.9
Don't Know	5.5
Refused	.3
18. Do you think this is or is not an option you might choose for yourself, if it would substantially lower your health insurance costs?
Yes	38.4
No	56.7
Don't Know	4.2
Refused	.7
19. An insurance company could offer savings for individuals who have made living wills stating that they do not want extreme measures used to keep them alive when they are terminally ill and unconscious and not expected to ever regain consciousness. Would it be acceptable, or not acceptable, for insurance companies to offer such an option?
Acceptable	71.5
Not acceptable	24.0
Don't Know	4.5
Refused	-
20. Do you think this is or is not an option you might choose for yourself, if it would substantially lower your health insurance costs?
Yes	69.0
No	27.8
Don't Know	3.1
Refused	.2
[Q21/22 random order] 21. Do you think that the profits that are made in the health care industry overall are higher, lower, or about the same as profits in most industries?
Higher	65.7
About the same	20.2
Lower	6.5
Don't Know	7.5
Refused	.2
22. Do you think that the health care industry overall manages to efficiently control costs better, worse, or about the same as most industries?
Better	5.9
About the same	42.9
Worse	46.0
Don't Know	5.1
Refused	-
[Full Sample] 23. Finally, just a few questions for statistical purposes. In politics today, do you think of yourself as:
Strongly Republican	15.3
Leaning toward Republican	14.1
Independent	30.7
Leaning toward Democrat	11.6
Strongly Democrat	15.6
Other	8.6
Don't Know	2.3
Refused	1.7
24. Now, let me ask you how likely you think it is that you will vote in the coming election for President this November. Please answer by giving a number from 0 to 100 percent, with 0 percent meaning there is no chance you will vote, 50 percent meaning you are just as likely to vote as not to vote, and 100 percent meaning you are certain to vote..
Mean	84.41
Median	100.00
DK / refused	2.4%
25. Thinking ahead to the November presidential election, which candidate do you support at this time, or haven't you picked a candidate yet?
Al Gore	18.4
George W. Bush	26.4
Pat Buchanan	.5
Ralph Nader	2.1
Other	.5
Have not picked a candidate	48.8
Refused	3.4
[318 respondents] 26. Even though you haven't made up your mind yet, do you lean toward supporting: [read randomized]
Al Gore	20.8
George W. Bush	36.7
Pat Buchanan	3.2
Ralph Nader	1.8
Another candidate	3.7
Don't Know	30.7
Refused	3.0
Total Al Gore	28.6
Total George W. Bush	44.3
Total Pat Buchanan	2.1
Total Ralph Nader	3.0
Total Other	2.3
Don't Know	15.0
Refused	4.8
27. In what year were you born? (Respondents' age computed).
18-29	22.1
30-39	21.6
40-49	20.1
50-59	13.7
60-69	9.7
70 and over	12.8
Refused	-
28. What is the highest level of education that you have had:
Less than high school (no degree)	17.5
High school graduate	32.9
Some college	26.0
4 year college degree	15.0
Advanced degree	6.8
Don't Know	.2
Refused	1.7
29. Do you have any children who are under 18 years of age?
Yes	33.9
No	64.3
Refused	1.7
30. Are you, yourself, now covered by any form of health insurance or health plan? This would include any private insurance plan through your employer or that you purchase yourself, as well as a government program like Medicare or Medicaid.
Yes	85.8
No	12.5
Don't Know	-
Refused	1.7
31. What ethnic group do you consider yourself to be part of? [IF UNCLEAR:] Would that be White, African American, Hispanic, or another group?
White/Caucasian	81.8
Black/African American	7.7
Hispanic/Latino	2.3
Other	4.4
Don't Know	.1
Refused	3.8
32. Here is a range of household incomes. Just stop me when I read an amount that is more than the correct category for your household income for last year.
$15,000	15.5
$25,000	16.7
$45,000	28.7
$70,000	15.7
$100,000	6.8
More than $100,000	5.5
Don't Know	2.5
Refused	8.5
Gender (recorded by observation unweighted numbers)
Male	48.0
Female	52.0