{"id":12355,"date":"2017-01-13T12:30:22","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/more-americans-say-government-should-ensure-health-care-coverage\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:17:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:17:00","slug":"more-americans-say-government-should-ensure-health-care-coverage","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2017\/01\/13\/more-americans-say-government-should-ensure-health-care-coverage\/","title":{"rendered":"More Americans say government should ensure health care coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the debate continues over repeal of the Affordable Care Act<\/a> and what might replace it, a growing share of Americans believe that the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, according to a new Pew Research Center survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Currently, 60% of Americans say the government should be responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans, compared with 38% who say this should not be the government\u2019s responsibility. The share saying it is the government\u2019s responsibility has increased from 51% last year and now stands at its highest point in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n\n

Just as there are wide differences between Republicans and Democrats about the 2010 health care law<\/a>, the survey also finds partisan differences in views on whether it\u2019s the government\u2019s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. More than eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (85%) say the federal government should be responsible for health care coverage, compared with just 32% of Republicans and Republican leaners.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The survey also finds continued differences on this question by race and ethnicity as well as income. A large majority of blacks and Hispanics (85% and 84%, respectively) say the government should be responsible for coverage, while non-Hispanic whites are split on the issue (49% agree, 49% disagree). And while about three-quarters of those with family incomes of less than $30,000 per year (74%) say the government should ensure coverage, only about half (53%) of those with incomes of $75,000 or higher say the same.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

The belief that the government has a responsibility to ensure health coverage has increased across many groups over the past year, but the rise has been particularly striking among lower- and middle-income Republicans.<\/p>\n\n

Currently, 52% of Republicans with family incomes below $30,000 say the federal government has a responsibility to ensure health coverage for all, up from just 31% last year. There also has been a 20-percentage-point increase among Republicans with incomes of $30,000-$74,999 (34% now, 14% last year). But there has been no significant change among those with incomes of $75,000 or more (18% now, 16% then).<\/p>\n\n

Those who think government should ensure health coverage for all are divided on a follow-up question about whether health insurance should be provided through a mix of private insurance companies and the government (29% of the overall public), or if the government alone should provide insurance (28% of the public).<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Overall, 43% of Democrats and Democratic leaners support a so-called single payer approach, but this approach is more popular among liberal Democrats (51%) than among conservative and moderate Democrats (38%).<\/p>\n\n

Most of those on the other side of the issue \u2013 people who say the government does not <\/em>have a responsibility to ensure health coverage \u2013 say on a subsequent question that the government should continue Medicare and Medicaid (32% of the overall public), while just 5% of the public says the government should have no role in health care.<\/p>\n\n

Among Republicans and Republican leaners, most of whom (67%) say the government does not have a responsibility for ensuring health coverage, there is very little support for the government not being involved in health care at all. Just 10% of Republicans favor no government involvement, while 56% say it should continue Medicare and Medicaid.<\/p>\n\n

While Republicans in Congress have already taken the first steps<\/a> toward repealing the ACA, Americans remain largely divided on what Congress should do with the health care law. Overall, in a Pew Research Center survey in December, 39% said it should be repealed<\/a>, while an equal share (39%) said the law should be expanded. Just 15% of Americans said the law should be left as is. Although the public is divided on the future of the law, there is bipartisan support for a number of ACA provisions<\/a>. Regardless of their personal views of the law, a small majority (53%) expects its major provisions will likely be eliminated<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

A December Kaiser Family Foundation survey<\/a> shows repealing the law is not the public\u2019s top health care priority for President-elect Donald Trump and the next Congress. Lowering the amount individuals pay for health care tops the list, with 67% of Americans saying it should be a top priority for the next administration. This is followed by lowering the cost of prescription drugs (61%) and dealing with the prescription-painkiller addiction epidemic (45%). Only 37% of the public says repealing the law should be the administration\u2019s top priority, though views differ widely by party.<\/p>\n\n

Note: Survey topline is available here (PDF)<\/a>. Methodology can be found here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

Related posts:<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Public support for \u2018single payer\u2019 health coverage grows, driven by Democrats<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n

Most patients in U.S. have high praise for their health care providers<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the debate continues over repeal of the Affordable Care Act and what might replace it, a growing share of Americans believe that the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care 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