Only 32.4 percent of the public supports President Barack Obama's healthcare reform proposal, according to a survey commissioned by global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale.
According to the polll, Obama’s primary challenge will be in making the nation understand what his health plan entails. Americans across the political spectrum are confused by major points of the proposed healthcare plan even after the president's nationally televised address to Congress.
The online survey of 1,042 adults and 102 health activists from WEGO Health, conducted after Obama’s healthcare address to Congress, finds that even among supporters of the president and his plan, most Americans could not correctly identify key aspects of the proposal – including funding, who would be covered by a public option, and when the plan would go into effect.
“Clearly the whole healthcare issue is fraught with complexity, political in-fighting and emotion that is not helped by poor media coverage. So I’m not surprised that the American people have thrown up their hands – even sophisticated consumer advocates are not clear about the plan,” said Alan Siegel, chairman and founder of Siegel+Gale.
Among the general population, 36.9 percent said they understand the president’s plan. Of those who watched the Sept. 9 address to Congress, the number was higher: 57.9 percent claimed to understand it. Yet even these respondents provided incorrect answers to questions posed in the survey.
The Siegel+Gale poll reveals that many aspects of the proposal – particularly the impact it will have on the U.S. deficit – are widely misunderstood or not believed.