While most Americans believe that the nation's health care system needs fundamental changes or to be completely rebuilt, 59 percent of registered voters believe that the legislation now moving through Congress will not benefit them personally compared to 31 percent who think it will, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted July 24-28.
Fifty-nine percent say from what they've read or heard of the legislation that it will increase costs for most Americans while 16 percent say it will have no effect and 15 percent believe it will reduce costs.
Three-quarters of those polled say they are very or somewhat concerned that a government plan to provide health care for all Americans will raise their taxes and about the same number worry that the cost of their own health care will go up. Sixty-nine percent believe that if the government creates a system of providing health care for all Americans, the quality of their own health care will get worse, compared to 53 percent who said so in June. Sixty-two percent worried that an overhaul would require them to change doctors compared to 53 percent in June
Despite those reservations, voters believe President Obama has better ideas for reforming the health care system than Republicans in Congress by 55 percent to 26 percent. And, by 51 percent to 31 percent, voters say that Republicans in Congress are not trying to work with Obama in order to overhaul the health care system. But 73 percent would like to see legislation passed with Republican support.
Voters approve of the way Obama is handling the health care issue by 46 percent to 38 percent with 16 percent undecided, pretty much the same as the poll numbers in June.
By 52 percent to 44 percent, they say that the country has to fix health care as part of fixing the economy compared to those who believe the U.S. can't afford to fix health care now.
Sixty-six percent believe as Obama and House Democrats have proposed that there should be a government-run health care plan to compete with private insurers. By 65 percent to 32 percent, those polled support increasing taxes on high-income Americans to pay for an overhaul.
Sixty-six percent are concerned that if the government does not step in that the number of uninsured Americans will rise.
On other issues, 57 percent believe that the stimulus package pushed by Obama and the Democrats has had no impact so far.
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