Approval Poll on CA Healthcare Players

Uh, this is CNA's press release from today ... (0.00 / 0)

When polltakers are asking about the California Nurses Association, they think it's an association of nurses, not a labor union that backs single payer, Ralph Nader, and attacks other labor unions. If that were the case, it would be somewhere down there with the health insurance companies. There's a real disconnect there.

For another example of that, the same poll showed overwhelming support for the Democratic/Nunez health care plan. It was opposed by CNA. Yet the Arnold and Nunez numbers are far below the support for their plan.

The only numbers you should take away from this poll are the ones that show what Californians want out of their health care system. On that score, the Nunez/Democratic plan is clearly the model, with single payer lagging far behind.

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by: sacguy @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 00:10:16 AM CDT

I'm skeptical, too (0.00 / 0)

I doubt many people know much about the CNA beyond that it represents nurses.

My Blog, The Watchtower

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by: msrpotus @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 00:28:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I agree (0.00 / 0)

And as I said, I think a lot of it is that people just like nurses. But I don't think that there's any reason to presume that the public would necessarily agree with your opinion of CNA just because you know people.

Quite frankly, I think the two major takeaways from this are One- like you say, nobody likes the current system and Two- that the whole thing is a big mess and the more anyone gets involved, the more people react unfavorably to the process of making sausage.

But even if you think the numbers for CNA are inflated, the opposition to insurance companies is still sitting there. Nobody likes them or wants to deal with them, I don't care where CNA is on the issue.

"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -JFK

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by: Lucas O'Connor @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 00:29:27 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah, but ... (0.00 / 0)

When push comes to shove, most voters believe insurance companies are a necessary evil. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Hence the continued support for employer-based health care in this poll.

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by: sacguy @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 01:16:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Take-aways (0.00 / 0)

The thing that people should take away from this poll is to stop enabling insurance companies and stop fearing the right--people have an incredibly negative view of them.  Let's try to come up with a healthcare plan that actually works, instead of actually pleases the insurance industry.

I think one other important take-away here is that when any healthcare-related initiative goes to the ballot, the public will be looking to CNA for illumination.  Moreover, when voters find out that the Schwarzenegger-Nunez plan would have mandated they purchase private insurance products no matter the cost or quality, they would have been outraged.

Sadly, Field did not poll single-payer, but as recently as last December, an AP/Yahoo poll of American voters found that 54% flat-out support "single-payer," and 65% support a "Medicare for All" style plan.  

I am a healthcare activist for the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association.  We are the nation's largest RN union, the nation's fastest-growing union, and leading advocates for single-payer healthcare.

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by: California Nurses Shum @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 12:16:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wrong Again, Shum (0.00 / 0)

CNA never "illuminates" -- it attacks, stalks, and disrupts. The public doesn't get anything from that, and it doesn't move the debate forward.

The Democratic helth can plan did NOT do as you say, and you know that. You also know there were tremendous subsidies for low-income families to purchase it.

Field DID ask what type of insurance Californians prefer, and the answer was employer-based, not single payer.

And Field did ask about a health care plan that would work, and the California public supported it overwhelmingly.

But instead, we now have what CNA preferred : NO coverage for 800,000 kids, NO coverage for 3.4 million Californians, and MORE health care cuts. Way to go CNA.

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by: sacguy @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 18:41:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I too question these poll numbers! (0.00 / 0)

But only because the unfavorables on insurance co's seem way too low. :-)

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 00:15:50 AM CDT

I wonder (0.00 / 0)

who approves of the insurance companies?  They don't employ 16% of the state, and even counting extended families, I doubt it is that high.

My Blog, The Watchtower

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by: msrpotus @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 00:29:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What this tells me (8.00 / 1)

Is that the time for a massive single-payer push is now. Put the CNA in front - not only have they earned it by their tireless work for single-payer, but the poll shows they're viewed very favorably by voters. Whereas the insurers are hated.

So what are the insurers going to do - convince Californians to stop hating them? Sure, they'll come up with some front group name like "Californians for Health Care Blah Blah Blah" but all anyone has to do in a response ad is connect that to the insurance companies. Make it all about the insurance companies and they can be beaten.

Californians are tired of waiting for political leaders and activists to start getting serious about making single-payer a reality. Its time has come.

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave

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by: Robert Cruickshank @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 01:08:22 AM CDT

More on the Field Poll... (0.00 / 0)

Just FYI, the Field Poll listed several other stakeholders as well. Joining nurses at the top of the list were health and consumer advocates, 47% favorable, 20% unfavorable; and doctors, at 43% favorable, 23% unfavorable. Representing the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, I was pleased that my category was in the top group, but I won't take credit: voters tend to support those who seem to represent their interest and that of the patient-provider relationship they regard as important.

The next level was those sectors where the favorables and unfavorables were roughly the same, where there are supporters, but also detractors: hospitals (33/30), labor (32/33), Governor Schwarzenegger (40/40).

The poll was worth linking to in full:
http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2267.pdf

What the poll does suggest is that the need and urgency for reform is still alive and well. Whether its AB x1 1 or SB840, the reasons for their stalling is not for lack of public support, but political and procedural obstacles that need to be overcome.

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by: awright @ Fri May 02, 2008 at 01:08:22 AM CDT