Poll: Public slightly favors Democrats in health care debate

July 15, 1999
Web posted at: 11:39 p.m. EDT (0339 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 15) -- Although the Senate gave final approval Thursday to the GOP version of the so-called patients' bill of rights, most Americans give a slight edge to the Democrats in the health care debate, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

The survey of 1,061 adult Americans was conducted June 13-14 and has a margin of sampling error of +/- three percentage points.

Which party's approach to government regulation of how managed care organizations treat their patients comes closer to your own?
Democrats	41%
Republicans	34%

How concerned are you that the GOP version would not go far enough to regulate managed care and protect patients?
Very Concerned	40%
Somewhat Concerned	37%
Not Concerned	19%

How concerned are you that the Democratic version would go too far in regulating the industry and increase patients' health care costs?
Very Concerned	38%
Somewhat Concerned	38%
Not Concerned	20%

In your opinion, managed health care plans such as HMO's need:
A Complete Overhaul	26%
Major Changes	41%
Minor Changes	20%
No Changes	7%

RELATED STORIES

Senate approves GOP's version of 'patients' bill of rights' (7-15-99) Politics or patients: Senate to vote on health 'bill of rights' (7-14-99) Senate Democrats lose early patients' rights votes (7-13-99) Senate Democrats, GOP square off on patients' rights (7-12-99) HMO debate: What's in it for you? (7-12-99) HMO reform, tax cuts top agenda as Congress goes back to work (7-11-99) Clinton urges Senate to pass strong patient rights bill (7-9-99) Analysis: Your rights as patient up for debate in Washington (7-8-99) Special Report: The HMO debate

VIDEO
Patient's Bill of Rights debate continues (7-14-99) Real: 28K \| 80K, Windows Media: 28K \| 80K CNN's Jonathan Karl looks at the Senate debate over the patient's rights bill (7-13-99) Windows Media: 28K \| 80K

RELATED SITES
White House Senate

Poll: Public slightly favors Democrats in health care debate

MORE STORIES:

Thursday, July 15, 1999