'Individual mandate' opposed by many

Half of Americans oppose the "individual mandate" clause in the healthcare reform law that requires all Americans to purchase health insurance, but 71% agree that healthy people should buy insurance to help pay costs for those that are sick, according to the results of a Harris Interactive/HealthDay online poll released in March.

The poll found that 56% of Americans agree that if everyone is required to have health insurance, including healthy people, it will make the average cost of insurance less expensive. More than half (51%) agreed that requiring insurance companies to provide health insurance to people with preexisting conditions will not work unless everyone is required to have insurance.