Morning Consult/BPC Poll: Improving America's Current Health Care System Receives Most Support of Leading Reform Plans

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The Bipartisan Policy Center issued the following news release:

A new national and early primary state poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Bipartisan Policy Center shows overall support for improving our nation's current health care system was almost double that of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act or transforming to a "Medicare-for-All" single-payer system. That reform approach received the most bipartisan support with a plurality of Democrats (46 percent) and independents (38 percent), and a third of Republicans (32 percent).

Similar to the 2018 midterm elections, the survey finds that health care is a top priority for voters regardless of party heading into the 2020 presidential election (66 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of Independents, and 46 percent of Republicans). Among all voters, out-of-pocket expenses (64 percent) and prescription drug costs (57 percent) ranked as their most significant health care concerns.

The survey also found that voters, especially those living in rural areas, say illicit drugs and opioids are the most common public health issues in their local community, followed by mental and behavioral health issues, then smoking/vaping and obesity. In the earliest primary states, seven in ten New Hampshire voters (69 percent) and more than half of South Carolina voters expressed concern with illicit drugs and opioids, and voters in Iowa selected mental and behavioral health issues as important priorities.

With federal spending on major health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, expected to substantially increase over the next ten years, more than half of voters supported increasing federal taxes on the wealthy segment of society to continue funding these important programs.

"These findings clearly show there is bipartisan support for improving on our nation's current health care system and giving Americans much needed relief from their escalating health care costs," said Marilyn Serafini, director of BPC's Health Project. "It's time to stop the partisan bickering over health care and start making the changes that the American public needs."

The poll was conducted online and had a national sample size of 1,988 registered voters and 300 voters in each early primary state including Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.