Large, bipartisan majorities support health care price transparency and increased access to mental health care.
WHY IT MATTERS – These could be two areas in which the Republican House and Democrat Senate and President can find common ground and get something done.
THE QUESTION – A Kaiser Family Foundation poll of U.S. adults asked participants to prioritize several potential health care reforms. The top three reforms marked a “top priority” or “important” were:
95 percent - Passing a law to make health care prices more transparent to patients
92 percent - Increasing funding for access to mental health services
91 percent - Strengthening requirements to make health insurance plans cover mental health as they do physical health
TOP PRIORITY – Price transparency was ranked a “top priority” among all voter groups, including:
66 percent of women
54 percent of men
66 percent of Democrat/lean Democrat
54 percent of Republican/lean Republican
Mental health initiatives were ranked as a top priority by a majority of women and Democrats and a plurality of men and Republicans.
BOTTOM LINE – Congress and the President could get something done in health care if they are willing to work together.
GO DEEPER – Kaiser Family Foundation December Tracking Poll