The Young & the Restless

According to a new survey, “Millennial” voters (18-28 years old) -- often are portrayed as the new “driving force” in American politics -- place health care reform fifth on their list of electoral issue priorities (behind the economy, energy/gas prices, jobs/unemployment, and Iraq). But, when millennial voters are engaged on the issue of health care reform they have some very strong – and often contradictory – opinions about reform -- particularly when it comes to issue of “universal care.”

The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (the public policy institute home of www.drugwonks.com) has just released a new survey of millennial views on health care reform. The national public opinion poll of young voters demonstrates limited acceptance for the potential consequences of greater government control over health care.

While millennial voters report to strongly support the need for reform and the concept of “universal care,” when asked if they are willing to pay higher taxes to pay for a government-run health care system, their level of support swiftly turns in the opposite direction.

Millennial voters are strongly against government-care that results in longer wait times to see a health care provider, limits to the types of treatments and medicines they can access, and the potential for the government to interfere in the decision making and relationship between doctor and patient.

Some germane findings:

* A majority (75 percent) of millennials were concerned about their current and future ability to access affordable health care

* Eighty-three percent of millennials believe that America’s health care system is in need of reform and that health care insurance should be available to all Americans; and,

 

* Seven in ten millennials support the creation of a new government program to manage and administer public health insurance coverage options, and 6 in 10 were okay with increasing government spending to support health care reforms.

However, as the potential cost of health care reform was shifted directly onto individuals and not the government the level of support for reform ideas also shifted among millennial voters.

* A majority (51 percent) were not in support of any health care reforms thatcould raise their personal tax burden;

 

* Sixty-two percent said they would not support any health care reforms that could increase wait-times to see a doctor or the availability of treatments and medicines; and,

* Millennial voters were also equally unsupportive (62 percent) of health care reforms that would increase the role of the government regulation and oversight in doctor-patient decision-making.

This healthcare “idealism gap” among millennial voters speaks to a large divide between what this group is hearing from politicians and pundits -- and what they are willing to accept. This insight into how younger voters think and feel about these healthcare reform shows that all sides of the debate need to do a better job educating this important voting bloc about how various reform plans will impact the future of medicine in America.”

For further details please go to www.biggovhealth.org.

This poll is the result of 1001completed interviews with adults 18-28 years of age who are registered to vote.  Respondents were selected at random from the 48 contiguous states.  The interviews were conducted between September 12th, 2008 and September 20th, 2008. The margin of error for this study is ± 3.09 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Interviews were monitored at random. 

Sampling for this study was conducted using a national probability sample of all exchanges and area codes across the 48 contiguous States.  All interviews were conducted using a computer assisted telephone interviewing system.  Statistical weights were designed from the United States Census Bureau statistics.