ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the field of
announced presidential candidates is established, the Democrats are gaining
ground with the U.S. public as the party they trust to improve and reform
the U.S. healthcare system. Senator Hillary Clinton is most trusted on this
issue overall, largely because of high levels of confidence among
Democrats. She and the Democrats are more trusted now than they were in
March 2006, while trust in President Bush declines.
These are some of the results of an online survey of 2,482 U.S. adults,
ages 18 and older, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) between February 7
and 9, 2007 for The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition
(http://www.wsj.com/health).
Trust in Healthcare Policy Makers
The survey found more trust in Democrats than Republicans, with 50
percent saying they trust Democrats to come up with good policies for
improving and reforming the U.S. healthcare system "a great deal" or "to
some extent," up from 45 percent in 2006. By contrast, 28 percent of adults
say they trust Republicans "a great deal" or "to some extent," compared
with 31 percent last year.
In regards to the Democratic presidential candidates, 48 percent of
adults say they trust Senator Clinton on the issue "a great deal" or "to
some extent," while 45 percent say the same about Senator Barack Obama. Of
Republican presidential contenders, 43 percent of adults say they trust
Rudolph Giuliani on this healthcare issue and 34 percent say they trust
Senator John McCain.
Trust by Political Party
Senators Clinton and Obama are trusted "a great deal" or "to some
extent" by a large majority of their fellow Democrats (77% and 66%,
respectively), and by almost half of all Independents to come up with good
policies for improving and reforming the U.S. healthcare system (48% and
49%, respectively). While the percentages are small, a growing minority of
Republicans trust Senator Clinton's ability to improve the system (16%).
While Republican candidates generally receive lower marks compared to
most Democratic candidates, it is noteworthy that Rudolph Giuliani and
Senator John McCain are both trusted by sizable minorities of Democrats
(38% and 32%, respectively) as well as many Republicans (61% and 42%,
respectively) to improve and reform the healthcare system.
Trust in President Bush
As the public's trust in the Democrats has risen, they remain skeptical
about President Bush's ability to improve the U.S. healthcare system (27%,
down from 30% in 2006). More notably, when it comes to reducing the ranks
of the uninsured, improving the quality of healthcare and reducing
Americans' out-of-pocket for healthcare, the President is losing ground
with Republicans. Fewer than half of all Republicans have confidence in the
President's ability to address these issues.
TABLE 1A
TRUST IN HEALTHCARE POLICY MAKERS
"How much do you trust each of the following to come up with good policies for
improving and reforming the U.S. healthcare system?"
Base: All Adults
A Great Not
Deal/To A To Much/
Some Great Some Not At Not Not At Not
Extent Deal Extent All Much All Sure
(Net) (Net)
The 2006 % 31 10 21 61 27 34 8
Republicans 2007 % 28 8 20 59 23 36 12
The 2006 % 45 16 29 47 25 22 9
Democrats 2007 % 50 23 27 38 18 20 12
President 2006 % 30 11 18 65 18 46 6
Bush 2007 % 27 9 18 65 16 49 9
Senator
Hillary 2006 % 41 17 24 51 18 34 8
Clinton 2007 % 48 25 23 41 15 26 11
Senator
John Edwards 2007 % 40 13 26 37 18 19 23
Rudolph
Giuliani 2007 % 43 13 30 38 19 18 20
Senator
John McCain 2007 % 34 7 28 43 24 18 23
Senator
Barack Obama 2007 % 45 19 26 34 16 18 21
Governor
Mitt Romney 2007 % 19 3 15 41 19 21 40
Governor
Bill
Richardson 2007 % 21 4 17 37 20 18 42
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 1B
TRUST IN HEALTHCARE POLICY MAKERS - BY PARTY ID
"How much do you trust each of the following to come up with good policies for
improving and reforming the U.S. healthcare system?"
Summary of A Great Deal/To Some Extent
Base: All Adults
Total Party ID
Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
The Republicans 2006 31 67 10 23
2007 28 67 8 21
The Democrats 2006 45 16 80 48
2007 50 16 81 51
President Bush 2006 30 63 6 26
2007 27 60 8 19
Senator
Hillary 2006 41 12 74 45
Clinton 2007 48 16 77 48
Senator
Barack Obama 2007 45 24 66 49
Rudolph Giuliani 2007 43 61 38 37
Senator
John Edwards 2007 40 20 58 41
Senator
John McCain 2007 34 42 32 36
President Bush 2006 30 63 6 26
2007 27 60 8 19
Governor
Bill Richardson 2007 21 18 24 21
Governor
Mitt Romney 2007 19 29 14 18
TABLE 2
FAMILIARITY WITH PRESIDENT BUSH'S HEALTHCARE PLANS - BY PARTY ID
"In his State of the Union speech this past January, the President
referred
briefly to his plans for healthcare. Since then the White House has
provided more details on his proposals. How familiar are you with Bush's
new healthcare
proposals?"
Base: All Adults
Total Party ID
Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
Very Familiar/
Somewhat
Familiar
(Net) 2006 40 41 47 44
2007 39 44 38 44
Very familiar 2006 7 6 9 8
2007 7 6 9 8
Somewhat
familiar 2006 34 35 38 36
2007 32 39 29 36
Not Very/Not At
All Familiar
(Net) 2006 54 55 49 53
2007 55 54 57 51
Not very
familiar 2006 32 38 28 34
2007 29 32 29 29
Not at all
familiar 2006 22 18 21 18
2007 26 22 28 22
Not Sure 2006 5 4 4 3
2007 6 2 6 5
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3A
CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT BUSH
"Even if you are not sure what his proposals are, how confident are you that
President Bush can do the following?"
Base: All Adults
Not Very
Very Confident/
Confident/ Not
Somewhat At All Not Not
Confident Very Somewhat Confident Very at All Not
(Net) Confident Confident (Net) Confident Confident Sure
Reduce the
percentage
of
Americans
without
health
insurance
2006 % 25 5 19 70 29 42 5
2007 % 24 4 20 70 25 44 7
Slow the
increase
in
healthcare
costs for
the U.S.
as a whole
2006 % 20 4 16 75 32 44 5
2007 % 20 3 17 73 26 47 7
Improve the
quality of
healthcare
2006 % 26 5 21 69 28 41 5
2007 % 21 3 18 73 27 46 7
Reduce
Americans'
out-of-
pocket
costs for
healthcare
2006 % 20 4 16 75 32 43 5
2007 % 18 3 15 75 27 48 7
Reduce
Americans'
out-of-
pocket
costs for
health
insurance
2006 % 19 4 16 76 32 44 5
2007 % 18 3 15 75 27 48 7
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3B
CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT BUSH - BY PARTY ID
"Even if you are not sure what his proposals are, how confident are you that
President Bush can do the following?"
Summary of Very/Somewhat Confident
Base: All Adults
Total Party ID
Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
Reduce the percentage
of Americans without 2006 25 49 7 19
health insurance 2007 24 45 9 21
Improve the quality 2006 26 49 10 23
of healthcare 2007 21 41 8 16
Slow the increase
in healthcare costs
for the U.S. as a 2006 20 39 5 17
whole 2007 20 39 7 16
Reduce Americans'
out-of-pocket costs 2006 20 40 5 19
for healthcare 2007 18 36 7 15
Reduce Americans'
out-of-pocket costs 2006 19 38 7 16
for health insurance 2007 18 39 5 14
Downloadable PDFs of Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive
Health- Care Polls are posted at
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp.
Methodology
Harris Interactive(R) conducted this online survey within the United
States between February 7 and 9, 2007 among a national cross section of
2,482 adults, ages 18 years and over. Figures for age, gender,
race/ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary
to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also
used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include:
sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed);
measurement error due to question wording and/or question order,
deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse
(including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used)
and weighting.
With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that
result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a
finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should
be avoided.
With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is
possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not
other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With pure
probability samples of 2,482, one could say with a ninety-five percent
probability that the results would have a sampling error of +/- 3
percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples would be
higher and may vary. However, that does not take other sources of error
into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and
therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the
National Council on Public Polls.
About The Wall Street Journal Online
The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow Jones &
Company (NYSE: DJ), is the largest paid subscription news site on the Web.
Launched in 1996, the Online Journal continues to attract quality
subscribers that are at the top of their industries, with 811,000
subscribers world-wide as of Q4, 2006.
The Online Journal offers three industry-specific verticals: the award-
winning Health, Media & Marketing and now Law. Health offers authoritative
analysis, breaking news and commentary from top industry journalists. Media
& Marketing is designed for professionals in the advertising, marketing,
entertainment and media industries. Law is designed to provide law firms
and attorneys timely information on events and trends important to the
legal market. Subscribers to these verticals also get access to the full
content of the Online Journal.
In 2005, the Online Journal was awarded a Codie Award for Best Online
News Service for the second consecutive year, and its Health Industry
Edition was awarded Best Online Science or Technology Service for the third
consecutive year. The Wall Street Journal Online network includes
CareerJournal.com, OpinionJournal.com, StartupJournal.com,
RealEstateJournal.com and CollegeJournal.com.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market
research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research,
insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident
decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in
performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of
the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online
market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the
world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris
Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and
Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a
global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau,
HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data
collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking
research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be
obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to
participate in online surveys, register at http://www.harrispollonline.com.
Press Contacts:
Jennifer Cummings
Harris Interactive
585-214-7720
Christine Mohan
Dow Jones & Company
212-416-2114
Harris Interactive Inc. 3/07
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