The House of Representatives committed a Saturday night massacre on American public opinion last weekend by passing a health care reform bill at 11:15 p.m. that will inflict permanent damage on our health care system and the economy. Since mid-October, four news organizations sponsored polls that asked a question similar to, “Do you favor or oppose Barack Obama’s plan to reform health care? Here are the results:
CNN: 45% favor; 53% oppose
Ipsos McClatchy: 39% favor; 49% oppose
NBC/Wall Street Journal: 43% favor; 48% oppose
USA Today/Gallup: 25% favor; 33% oppose
Two polls asked if the legislation passed, “Do you believe it will result in the quality of your health care getting better, worse, or staying about the same?” Here are the results:
NBC/Wall Street Journal: 21% better; 40% worse
USA Today/Gallup: 19% better; 40% worse
The remainder answered “no change” or “undecided.” You can check these figures at www.pollingreport.com.
An analysis by the Price Waterhouse Coopers firm concluded that the legislation would raise the health care costs for most American by an average 18 percent. Once the plan is phased in by 2019, a typical family of four would pay an additional $4,000 per year for insurance coverage. When combined with existing inflation, costs would double from today’s $12,300 annual average to $25,900. From that 111 percent increase, $9,600 is due to existing factors the legislation doesn’t correct, and $4,000 is because of additional costs created by the legislation. Premiums for single persons would rise from an average of $4,600 a year to $9,600. After all is said and done, the report said that 25 million Americans will remain uninsured.
How’s that hope and change going for you? Are you better off today than you were a year ago?
David E. Sumner
Anderson
