Poll Watch: Americans Split on Public Sector Health Care

The latest Rasmussen Poll has Americans evenly split on Obamacare’s public sector health care reform.

Forty-one percent (41%) of American adults believe it would be a good idea to set up a government health insurance company to compete with private health insurance companies. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that an identical number (41%) disagree.

President Obama is now aggressively campaigning to build support for creating such public-sector competition. Later today, he is expected to give a major address to the American Medical Association that outlines his health care reform goals including the creation of a government-run health insurance company.

Just 32% of Americans believe that the addition of a public sector insurance option would reduce the cost of health care. Forty percent (40%) say it would not.

Sixty-three percent (63%) say it’s likely that a government insurance company would lose money and require taxpayer subsidies. Just 20% say that’s not likely.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans believe private insurance companies will provide better service and more choice than the government option. Thirty-four percent (34%) hold the opposite view.

The question:

Would it be a good idea to set up a government health insurance company to compete with private health insurance companies?

• Yes – 41%
• No – 41%
• Not Sure – 18%

It will be a difficult sell to Congress by the Obama Administration with the public not wholeheartedly buying into this radical health care shift from the private sector.

Blue Dog Democrats with heavy lobbying by American physicians and hospitals will stop this public sector option of Obamcare. The President will try to spin his program tooday by addressing the AMA. But, good luck with that.

Stay tuned…..