Gallup's Public Opinion Regarding Healthcare

After reading the Kaiser health tracking poll in its entirety I have drawn several conclusions. First this was a comprehensive effort to provide an accurate and thorough report and poll on the nations citizens and their impressions of the Affordable Health Care Act. Secondly I was able to determine the base theme of this study. While remaining true to factual information the Kaiser study was biased towards promoting the Affordable Health Care Act. Promoting it in a way that made the reader feel like perhaps the law had not been afforded a fair shake at success. Due simply to a large number of people who had developed opinions about the Affordable Care Act without taking the time to fully understand it.

Health care reform in the United States is a hot topic and the source of legislation meant to make health care obtainable to Americans. Recent presidential elections have been platforms used to promote health care reform yet no one can agree on what the resolution will be. This paper will discuss ways recent health care reform measures have expanded or inhibited access to health care. This paper will discuss how changes to access may lead to influences in utilization. Concepts of what universal health care may be and how current care reflects or contrasts

When President Obama was elected to office, he had campaigned on the promise of healthcare reform, and was rallying the government to deliver on that promise. Despite successes in increasing coverage for certain populations in the 1980’s and 1990’s, there was no substantial and sustainable reduction in the number of uninsured. In a speech during a joint session of Congress (2009), and before the signing of the ACA, Obama argued that a high uninsured rate had an impact on the American people, the healthcare system, and the economy. The symptoms of the 1/7 Americans without uninsured in 2008 were: negative impacts on citizens, manifesting in greater financial insecurity, unreasonable barriers to care, general poor health, and preventable deaths; the healthcare system was burdened with billions of dollars in uncompensated care; the labor force became concerned about insurance coverage when seeking education or entrepreneurship. healthcare costs were rising rapidly, from 13% of the economy devoted to

When U.S. President Barrack Obama signed the health care reform bill into law in March 2010, opposing political pundits were quick to brand the initiative as government takeover of the healthcare system and pejoratively described it as socialized medicine. I considered it my civic duty to look a little deeper into the pros and cons of the issue as earlier research findings had reported 45,000 Americans died annually for lack of health care coverage (Robertson, 2009).

Throughout American history, no individual healthcare reform bill had the potential to influence health care on a national level and affect all social groups until President Barack Obama’s 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). This landmark legislation, commonly known as Obamacare, has been debated, contested, altered, and ultimately implemented. Accordingly, different political and social groups have developed preconceived notions based on individual political biases and self-interests on the effect of the PPACA’s policies on, among other things, the quality of medical care.

As more provisions of the affordable care act continue to be implemented many find controversy ineffectiveness of the new health plan. On an annual basis the correlation seems to grow more positive on one end, and more negative on the other. Since the start of (2014), the approval percentage of the Affordable Care Act has increased from 10% to 16%, while the percentage saying it has hurt them has also gone up, and by a similar amount, from 19% to 27% (Riffkin, 2014). Overall 41% Americans approve of the affordable care act in comparison to 53% of Americans that disapprove. The complexity of the changes really affects populations differently based on their income levels. The 2010 Affordable Health Care Act passed through congress has

Without our health, we have nothing. Money, friends and family, happiness--all are afterthoughts without our health. As such, both as individuals and as a society, maintaining our health must be an indispensable priority. Despite the many faults of our healthcare system, Americans realize this. Healthcare is undoubtedly a major concern in the United States. The recent implementation of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as “Obamacare,” the heated debates on healthcare across the nation, and the over one trillion dollars spent per year by the government on healthcare, all show our prioritization of health ("Federal Spending: Where Does the Money Go"). Furthermore, a strong majority of

In 2008, during President Obama’s campaign, President Obama announced that he would fight for a national health care system that helped millions of uninsured Americans obtain health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, also termed Obamacare, passed on Christmas Eve of 2009. While some people believe the Affordable Care Act is great, others are not too fond of the of it. From passing the bill, the government hoped to expand Medicaid eligibility to help more people whose income was meager or near poverty level. Although the idea was good, studies show that people of color, families in rural areas, and those with cultural and language barriers struggle to receive health care and pay for it. Furthermore, since Obamacare passed into law, the

According to Kovner and Knickman (2011), acutely ill patients within the country may hold a positive view of the country’s healthcare system, as the U.S. is scientifically and technology advanced in treating life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Overall quality of healthcare performance, however, is lacking (Kovner & Knickman, 2011, p. 19). As a whole, the public’s perception reflects this. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, about one in five individuals believe that the U.S. healthcare system is in a crisis, however, individuals are generally content with the healthcare they personally receive (Newport, 2013).

Health care in the United States is driven by a patchwork of services and financing. Americans access health care services in a variety of ways — from private physicians’ offices, to public hospitals, to safety-net providers. This diverse network of health care providers is supported by an equally diverse set of funding streams. The United States spends almost twice as much on health care as any other country, topping $2 trillion each year. (WHO.INT 2000) However, even with overall spending amounting to more than $7,400 per person, millions of individuals cannot access the health care services they need.(Foundation 2009) So when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a the Affordable Care Act or ACA) was passed in the summer

One of the quintessential promises of Obama’s campaign in 2008 was to reform health care. In the 2008 democratic platform, democrats rallied around a “commitment that every American man, woman, and child be guaranteed affordable, comprehensive health care” (2008 Democratic Party Platform). While it was uncertain exactly how reform would look like, Democrats and Obama strove for some specific qualifications for reform. He promised reform in reproductive health care, promised to lower drug and health care costs and raise quality of care, promised an end to insurance discrimination, and promised the oft quoted mantra of “if you like your doctor, you'll be able to keep your doctor; if you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your

This year being an election year means that the American people are confronted with many issues and disparities that plague our nation. One of these hot button topics is that of healthcare. The United States is the only developed nation without a universal healthcare system, but spends the most for health services. With so many Americans lacking the adequate care needed or facing bankruptcy due to piling medical bills, one must look at the health disparities that are causing this super power nation to inadequately serve its citizens.

U.S. health care reform is currently one of the most heavily discussed topics in health discourse and politics. After former President Clinton’s failed attempt at health care reform in the mid-1990s, the Bush administration showed no serious efforts at achieving universal health coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans. With Barack Obama as the current U.S. President, health care reform is once again a top priority. President Obama has made a promise to “provide affordable, comprehensive, and portable health coverage for all Americans…” by the end of his first term (Barackobama.com). The heated debate between the two major political parties over health care reform revolves around how to pay for it and more importantly, whether it

Health care reform has been a big topic since the Clinton administration when First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, took it under her belt to devise a new system. Health care is the provision taken to preserve mental and physical health using prevention and treatment. Compared to other health care systems in the world, the United States is ranked 37th in terms of care, claims Michael Moore (2007). Ironically, our health care system spends more than any other nation on its patients, averaging nearly $8,000 per person (DiNitto, 2012). With soaring costs, it is no surprise that one in every seven Americans are uninsured (Kaiser, 2011). Even with these sorry figures, statistics show that 85% of Americans are satisfied with their health care

Public opinion is an important aspect of democracy. ThisS is the view(s) commonly held among the general public. These are sets of attitude that shapes a group which either helps improve the quality or efficiency of an issue or agenda. The article puts forth its thesis as the influence of systematic issue attention cycle which strongly influences public attitude and behavior concerning most domestic problems. The public engage in election and choose their representative/leader, therefore; they have the right to voice out their opinion on certain issues. Public opinion is a form of political participation.