A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll showed an age gap in regards to support of health care reform but a new poll, see below fold, indicates that the town hall discussions have made seniors more apprehensive about the current system.
CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, August 5, 2009
Fifty percent of those questioned in CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday morning say they support the president's plans, with 45 percent opposed.
The results indicate a generational divide.
"Obama's plan is most popular among younger Americans and least popular among senior citizens," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "A majority of Americans over the age of 50 oppose Obama's plan; a majority of those under 50 support it."
Now the new poll:
Robert Wood Johnson survey, Aug. 18, 2009
Americans' confidence about their health care future and access to care is dropping, particularly among older people, as debate grows more contentious over President Barack Obama's health overhaul agenda.
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Among seniors eligible for Medicare the drop was even more striking - 10.4 points - suggesting the health care debate is raising alarm bells for older people.
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The Robert Wood Johnson survey, however, shows palpable worries about the status quo. It bears out other polls, including Marist, that show the public believes the U.S. health system should be changed, even while they have misgivings about the direction Mr. Obama and his Democrats are taking.
In the Johnson poll, 52 percent of respondents said they were very or somewhat worried that they would not be able to afford future care, and nearly 30 percent said they were very or somewhat worried they would go bankrupt from medical bills. Lower-income people expressed greater disquiet.
Now we all know why seniors have misgivings about the Democratic plan: BECAUSE REPUBLICANS ARE DEMAGOGUING LIARS about Medicare fraud and living will provisions in the bill.
Now OUR job is to inform seniors about the truth of the current system, where seniors waiting for Medicare are denied coverage or pay out the wazoo for crappy coverage, and to inform them about the truth of these provisions. The public option is critical for those such seniors who are denied coverage or who can't afford coverage.