COLLEGE
PARK, Md., July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the price
of health care continues to rise faster than wages, a new public
consultation survey by the Program for Public Consultation
(PPC) finds bipartisan majorities of Americans in the six swing
states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as well as nationally, support
major proposals for lowering health care costs. [More Detailed
Report]
This survey is the first in a series – the Swing Six Issue
Surveys – being conducted in the run-up to the
November election in six swing states on major policy issues.
Unlike traditional polls, respondents in a public consultation
survey go through an online "policymaking simulation" in which they
are provided briefings and arguments for and against each policy.
Content is reviewed by experts on different sides to ensure
accuracy and balance.
Capping Drug Prices
The Federal government capping the
price of all drugs to what is charged in other developed countries
is favored by large majorities in every swing state (77% to 81%),
including majorities of Democrats (84% to 87%) and Republicans (72%
to 82%). Nationally, a large bipartisan majority (78%) is also in
favor.
In the advance briefing, respondents were informed that drugs in
the US generally cost twice as much as in other developed countries
and that this proposal would result in fewer new drugs being
developed, per a Congressional Budget Office study.
Making Higher ACA Subsidies Permanent
Making
permanent the pandemic-era law that temporarily increased
Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for lower and middle income
households is favored by nearly two-thirds in every swing state
(62% to 68%), including majorities of Democrats (71% to 78%) and
Republicans (55% to 62%). Nationally, a bipartisan majority of 67%
is in favor. Subsidies are scheduled to return to pre-pandemic
levels in 2026.
Revoking Patents for Unaffordable Drugs Developed with
Federal Aid
Allowing the Executive Branch to revoke patents
for drugs developed with federal aid, which are unaffordable for
most who need them, is favored in every swing state (74% to
77%), including Democrats (79% to 84%) and Republicans (70% to
75%), as well as nationally (73%). [BAR GRAPH]
Prohibiting Deals that Delay the Release of Generic
Drugs
Prohibiting "pay-to-delay" – in which brand-name drug
companies preserve their ability to charge high prices by paying
generic drug companies to delay bringing their generic version to
market–is favored by majorities in every swing state (72% to 77%),
including Democrats (75% to 84%) and Republicans (68% to 72%), as
well as nationally (71%). [BAR GRAPH]
Requiring Price Transparency for Health Care
Costs
Price transparency – requiring that health and
insurance providers make prices publicly available as a means of
promoting competition and lowering costs – has been enacted by both
the Trump and Biden administrations through executive orders.
Making price transparency requirements permanent through
legislation is favored by more than three quarters in every swing
state (75% to 84%), including Democrats (82% to 88%) and
Republicans (74% to 80%), as well as nationally (77%). [BAR
GRAPH]
Funding Substance Abuse Treatment
Providing
$13 billion in additional federal
funding to help make treatment for substance use disorder low-cost
or free to nearly everyone who needs and wants it is favored by
majorities in every swing state (65% to 79%), including Democrats
(77% to 86%) and Republicans (56% to 77%). Nationally, a bipartisan
majority (80%) is in favor. [BAR GRAPH]
Director of the Program for Public Consultation, Steven Kull, noted, "Even with the airwaves of
the swing states filled with divisive messages, when people there
focused on possible solutions for lowering health care costs, we
found tremendous bipartisan common ground."
About the Survey
The survey was fielded
May 23rd to July 8th, 2024 with 6,854
adults by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy,
including 3,649 in Arizona,
Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (approximately 600 in each), and
3,205 nationally. Samples were obtained from multiple online opt-in
panels, including Cint, Dynata and Prodege. Sample collection and
quality control was managed by QuantifyAI under the direction of
the Program for Public Consultation. Samples were pre-stratified
and weighted by age, race, gender, education, income,
metro/non-metro, marital status, home ownership, and partisan
affiliation to match the general adult population. The survey was
offered in both English and Spanish. The confidence interval for
the national sample ranged from +/-2.3% to 3.9%, and for each of
the state samples it is 4.5%.
- Health Care Costs Questionnaire with Toplines, Crosstabs,
and Methodology
- National and Six State Full Report, Including Sources of
Proposals Tested
- Go Through the Policymaking Simulation on Health Care
Costs
About the Program for Public Consultation
The Program
for Public Consultation (PPC) at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy,
develops and conducts public consultation surveys, seeking to
improve democratic governance by consulting representative samples
of citizens on key public policy issues. It shares its findings
with officials in government, the media, other academics, and the
general public.
CONTACT: Ana Cobian,
Ana.Cobian@wardcirclestrategies.com
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SOURCE Program for Public Consultation