Poll: 51% of California Residents Favor Health Care Reform Proposals
A majority of Californians support the health care reform proposals currently under debate in Congress, according to a poll released Thursday by the Public Policy Institute of California, the Ventura County Star reports.
About 51% of state residents said they favor "changes to the health care system being developed by Congress and the Obama administration," while 38% said they oppose such changes.
Moreover, 62% of Californians said they support a government-run public insurance plan option, while 33% said they oppose it.
Respondents answered largely along party lines for both questions, with most Democrats in favor of the proposals and most Republicans against them.
Independent voters split more evenly on health care reform in general, with 43% in favor and 45% opposed. However, 58% of independents expressed support for a public plan option, while 37% expressed disfavor.
Among those categorized as "likely voters," 46% said they support health care reform, while 42% said they oppose it. About 59% of likely voters said they favor a public plan option, while 37% said they oppose it.
The respondents' opinions on health care reform largely mirror their assessment of President Obama's performance as president, according to the Star.
PPIC conducted the poll of 2,006 Californians between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points (Herdt, Ventura County Star, 9/11). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.