Experts from both sides of the aisle predict that healthcare, though important to most Americans, may not play a major role in the upcoming presidential election.
At a July 10 briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation, polling and public opinion experts said it is too early to tell how significant healthcare will be in the election.
Drew Altman, health policy and public opinion expert president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation said healthcare is a major personal economic concern for most Americans and has been for some time.
Recent polls show healthcare is the number one domestic issue, and while distantly behind the War in Iraq as a concern for voters, healthcare is gaining momentum, Altman said. States such as California and Massachusetts have played a role in contributing to a positive outlook with their recent innovative efforts in healthcare.
According to Gary Ferguson, Republican pollster and senior vice president of American Viewpoint, healthcare has not reached crisis proportions according to the vast majority of voters.
It is significant that all the candidates are talking about healthcare, Ferguson said, though most are still short on specifics.
The experts at the July 10 panel briefing were equally skeptical about healthcare reform in 2009, even if healthcare gains traction during the election.
Mark Mellman, Democratic strategist, polling expert and CEO of The Mellman Group in Washington, DC, said plans to reform American healthcare have foundered because: many Americans like their coverage; cost savings behind universal coverage are difficult to prove; middle-income Americans are concerned they'll have to foot the bill and Americans do not trust government-run healthcare.
Altman said even the advent of "the next great debate on healthcare" won't ensure progress. Unless exit polls show healthcare as a top priority, it won't gain enough momentum for reform.
"It's going to be tough. It always is," Ferguson said. Even if a single party controls Washington, that doesn't mean healthcare will move forward.