Best’s News & Research Service - October 10, 2006 02:34 PM (EDT)
Most Baby Boomer-Era Voters Support Universal Health Insurance, AARP Poll Says
WASHINGTON //BestWire// - Most voters say they are likely to vote for candidates who express support for the concept of national health-care coverage, according to a poll of 1,500 likely voters commissioned by AARP.
More than three-quarters of likely voters - 77% - said they are "very likely" (41%) or "somewhat likely" (36%) to vote for a candidate who supports a plan for national health-care coverage, the seniors' lobbying group said. Nearly eight in 10 of all of those polled - 78% - said the federal government should ensure that everyone has health insurance. Sixty-one percent strongly agreed.
David Sloane, AARP's director of government relations, said the polling data show that most baby boomer-era voters are reacting to health insurance becoming less affordable and less accessible. "The voter anxiety reflected in this poll is the result of a system that is inefficient, at the mercy of uncontrollable costs, and is leaving tens of millions of people without health insurance," Sloane said.
The poll comes a month before voters head to the polls to vote on all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 members of the U.S. Senate in a midterm election cycle that has been marked by a number of scandals and, according to most nationwide polling reports, widespread dissatisfaction among voters. Universal health insurance, a staple of the Democratic platform, could get a renewed airing if voters return control of the House to Democrats next month.
AARP's poll surveyed likely voters age 42 and older, finding that nearly all (93%) are registered to vote, and that an overwhelming majority (86%) say they plan to vote next month. Fifty-six percent said they "always" vote, and 31% said they "nearly always" vote. Older voters show up at the polls more consistently than younger ones, according to the poll data, with 65% of those older than 60 saying that they always vote, compared with 50% of those aged 51-60 and 44% of those aged 42-50.
More than half of those surveyed said they are "very interested" in this year's election. Yet as of Oct. 2, only 47% said they had given "quite a lot of thought" to their choice of candidate. Many remain undecided about both House (60%) and Senate (50%) races.
When asked about health insurance, older voters were more likely than younger ones to vote for a candidate who supports national health insurance. Forty-three percent of those aged 61 and older said they would vote for such a candidate, compared with 46% for those aged 51-60 and 32% of those aged 42-50. More younger voters, those aged 42-50, said they would be "somewhat likely" to vote for a candidate supporting national health care. Only small minorities said they would be "not very likely" to vote for candidates who support such a plan, with 9% of those aged 42-50, 6% of those 51-60, and 9% of those older than 61 agreeing.
(By Chris Grier, Washington correspondent, BestWeek: Chris.Grier@ambest.com)