November 3, 2020
Polling Spotlight: Americans want changes in healthcare
When it came to Americans’ 2020 votes, healthcare was one of the top concerns factoring into their decisions. According to polling conducted on October 28-29, 2020, 38% of Americans consider the state of public health in the US poor or in crisis. Only 34% consider it excellent or good, and 28% think it’s fair.
According to polling from Heart+Mind Strategies, Americans are open to changes in healthcare, and many clearly want to see changes to the Affordable Care Act.
38% believe we need to fix the ACA and build on it to make healthcare more affordable and less complex.
Only one in five voters think we should have universal single-payer government healthcare for all Americans.
While there is room for improvement in healthcare, the current reality isn’t completely grim. As states have responded to the coronavirus healthcare crisis, we have seen evidence that change is not only possible but also quicker when states, not DC policymakers, lead the way. Since March, access to healthcare providers, medical supplies, and telemedicine services have increased, thanks to reforms states have adopted.
Many states have placed expiration dates on these reforms, but the pandemic has taught us a valuable lesson: These solutions can save lives, and we need them in place long-term to build a healthcare system prepared to weather any crisis.
States are well positioned to enact good healthcare reforms, and they can do so at a much faster pace than DC. Understanding Americans’ healthcare concerns enables nonprofit think tanks to encourage state-level discussions about solutions that will restore Americans’ peace of mind in our public health and the availability of quality, affordable care.
State Policy Network is working with Heart + Mind Strategies to track the American public’s opinions through this time of upheaval and change. This data was collected by Heart+Mind Strategies through an online survey conducted November 3-4, 2020 (n=2,005).
