A poll released by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) shows three-quarters of Americans and industry leaders want healthcare reform during President-elect Barack Obama's term.
More than half of those polled are fearful they won't be able to afford health insurance (57 percent) or seek medical attention (52 percent) when they need it, the poll said.
Reducing costs through healthcare reform is the first health priority Americans want Obama to address, while expansion of healthcare coverage is the first priority among healthcare industry leaders.
A majority of Americans (67 percent) and health industry influencers (92 percent) would like Obama to expand health insurance to all uninsured children in the United States, the study found.
The study was released at a national town hall meeting held Thursday in Washington, D.C., and broadcast live to children's hospitals across the country. Surveyors polled 1,000 American adults and more than 800 health industry influencers, including policy makers and executives from hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, associations and other major employers.
"It's clear that Americans and health industry leaders have reached a tipping point toward major healthcare reform," said Lawrence McAndrews, president and CEO of the NACHRI. "Yet these groups don't always agree on priorities. The two agendas Ð reducing costs and expanding access Ð may compete unless cost containment strategies are put in place and greater public-private collaboration is sought."
David Levy, MD, a principal in the health industries advisory practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said, "The health system has been broken for a long time and can no longer pass around its flaws and inefficiencies in a market that is simultaneously demanding universal coverage and cost reduction."
"The good news for patients is that the chances for real reform are better than ever now," he added. "New consumer expectations, innovations in medical science and disruptive market forces are quickly changing the way that healthcare is financed and delivered. Like virtually all other industries, the healthcare value proposition will be reinvented around the needs of those it serves."