AARP discovers what many of us have been pushing - A National Health Care Plan-Get that delete button ready!
From John Curry, October 9, 2006
Voters Favor Candidates Who Support a Plan For National Health Care Coverage
AARP 'Election Watch' Poll Finds Voters Support Minimum Health Care Benefits
10/9/2006 9:37:00 AM
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Steve Hahn of AARP, 202-434-2560, or shahn@aarp.org
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than three quarters (77 percent) of those likely to go to polls in November say they are likely to vote for a candidate who supports a plan for national health care coverage, finds a new election poll commissioned by AARP.
As the mid-term election nears, AARP has been polling baby boomer-age and older voters on the issues its members have indicated they want to hear about in national and state political debate.
"Health care has become less affordable and less accessible," explained David Sloane, senior managing director of government relations for AARP. "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."
The AARP poll measured opinions of likely voters age 42 and above. It found that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) agree that the federal government should see that everyone has at least minimum health insurance benefits. The greatest numbers of respondents who support minimum benefits are boomer voters (ages 51 to 60). That same age cohort remains largely undecided with 61 percent saying they have yet to decide who they will vote for.
Health care is a top concern among this group of highly active voters, and AARP wants voters to have better information on candidates' views on health care issues. The "AARP Election Watch" poll found that 86 percent of the respondents claim they will vote in November. AARP is sending an important message to voters this fall, "Don't Vote -- until you know where the candidates stand." The leading organization for Americans age 50 and above is helping its members learn the facts by posting links to candidate Web sites and AARP voter guides at http://www.dontvote.com.
In addition to AARP voter guides in which the candidates express their positions in their own, unedited, words, AARP has co-sponsored gubernatorial candidate forums on health care in many states.
"AARP Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polled 1,501 ages 42 and over. It was conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1. Now through Election Day, Election Watch polls will be released weekly. Next week's poll will examine another important health care issue long-term care.
Full copies of this and other AARP "Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polls, can be accessed at http://www.aarp.org.
Finally, finally,finally - the majority of voters have been "pinched" to the point that they now understand why we are the only industrialized country in the world that does not have national health care. Our economy has been devastated by sales of foreign products (autos, cameras, steel, etc.) from countries whose manufactured products do not have the "built-in" costs of healthcare added to the price of their wares. Maybe the table will soon be leveled. It's a sad day in the U.S. when people have to be gouged into poverty with healthcare bills before they wake up and smell the bacon.
STRS retirees were affected by poor planning by those formerly in charge and who were supposed to be looking out for our future welfare. Our fellow non-teaching citizens' healthcare was also ignored by those in the majority of Congress at the federal level. Privatizing of healthcare in this country has lined too many campaign coffers at the expense of the citizenry - the citizenry is now waking up. If I seem to "come on too strong" on this issue - I apologize - but I'd sooner see tax dollars go for the welfare of U.S. citizens rather than into pockets of CEO's who are profiteering by this rape of the American public. If you require further proof of this, I will be glad to furnish it - cases in point: the obscene salaries of the pharmaceutical executives who use taxpayer monies to aid in the development of their products through the National Institutes of Health, the "double dealing" that we have seen by agents/brokers of healthcare insurance policies (i.e. the Columbus City Schools) to governmental bodies, the obscene salaries of the CEO's in "not-for-profit(!)" hospitals around this country, and the list goes on and on. Just ask, I'll furnish you with stats - I'll fill your computer!
P.S. - For those who would criticize and say that nationalizing healthcare would be a socialistic and/or communistic practice I say to them - maybe they should take a look at the concepts of Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. Then tell me that these programs aren't "nationalized." If they still find these programs offensive, they can always give monies back, can't they? John
From: Frank Kaiser
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006
Subject: [SeniorNews] Voters Favor Candidates Who Support a Plan For National Health Care Coverage - from Suddenly Senior
AARP 'Election Watch' Poll Finds Voters Support Minimum Health Care Benefits
10/9/2006 9:37:00 AM
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Steve Hahn of AARP, 202-434-2560, or shahn@aarp.org
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than three quarters (77 percent) of those likely to go to polls in November say they are likely to vote for a candidate who supports a plan for national health care coverage, finds a new election poll commissioned by AARP.
As the mid-term election nears, AARP has been polling baby boomer-age and older voters on the issues its members have indicated they want to hear about in national and state political debate.
"Health care has become less affordable and less accessible," explained David Sloane, senior managing director of government relations for AARP. "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."
The AARP poll measured opinions of likely voters age 42 and above. It found that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) agree that the federal government should see that everyone has at least minimum health insurance benefits. The greatest numbers of respondents who support minimum benefits are boomer voters (ages 51 to 60). That same age cohort remains largely undecided with 61 percent saying they have yet to decide who they will vote for.
Health care is a top concern among this group of highly active voters, and AARP wants voters to have better information on candidates' views on health care issues. The "AARP Election Watch" poll found that 86 percent of the respondents claim they will vote in November. AARP is sending an important message to voters this fall, "Don't Vote -- until you know where the candidates stand." The leading organization for Americans age 50 and above is helping its members learn the facts by posting links to candidate Web sites and AARP voter guides at http://www.dontvote.com.
In addition to AARP voter guides in which the candidates express their positions in their own, unedited, words, AARP has co-sponsored gubernatorial candidate forums on health care in many states.
"AARP Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polled 1,501 ages 42 and over. It was conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1. Now through Election Day, Election Watch polls will be released weekly. Next week's poll will examine another important health care issue long-term care.
Full copies of this and other AARP "Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polls, can be accessed at http://www.aarp.org.
posted by Kathie Bracy at 11:44 PM
<< Home