What patients really think about single-payer healthcare

January 16, 2020

A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examined what the public opinion was for single-payer healthcare.

A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examined what the public opinion was for single-payer, national health plans, and expanding access to Medicare coverage.Here are the key findings.

Most support the federal government doing more to provide health insurance, with 74 percent saying they are in favor.

But Republican support has eroded over time, with 72 percent being in favor of more federal support for health insurance in November 2006, but only 40 percent support it in January 2019, compared to 94 percent of Democrats.

A national health plan didn’t garner majority support until 2016, with 50 percent of those surveyed being in favor of getting their insurance from a single government plan compared to 43 percent who were opposed.

Medicare-for-all is favored by 53 percent overall, and opposed by 43 percent. However, there is a large partisan divide, with 10 percent of Democrats strongly opposing the idea, compared to 60 percent of Republicans.

The terminology used affects public opinion:
• Universal health coverage receives a 63 percent positive reaction.
• Medicare-for-all receives 63 percent positive reaction.
• National health plan receives 59 percent positive reaction.
• Single-payer health insurance system receives 49 percent positive reaction.
• Socialized medicine receives 46 percent positive reaction.

For the 39 percent who oppose Medicare-for-all, the primary objections were “don’t want the government involved” (23 percent), “too expensive to implement” (14 percent), and “limits choice/competition” (14 percent).

For supporters of a national health plan, universal coverage for all Americans was the most important feature, with 89 percent saying it was very important.

Uncertainties about what effects a Medicare-for-all plan would have on their families persists. If such a plan was instituted:
• 55 percent think they would be able to keep their current health insurance, compared to 35 percent who say they would not.
• 67 percent say they would be able to access the care they need, compared to 27 percent who say they would not.
• 77 percent say they would have to pay more in taxes to cover the cost of insurance compared to 17 percent who say they would not.

There is broader support for expanding optional public health insurance programs than for Medicare-for-all.
• 53 percent favor Medicare-for-all
• 77 percent favor Medicare buy-in for ages 50-64