Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for August 16, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
August 16, 2017: A Pew Research study found that 33% of American adults support a single-payer healthcare system. The study, conducted in June, found that support comes from 52% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans.[1]
Many Democratic politicians, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, are actively promoting a single-payer insurance model. Frequently, the claim is made that such proposals are popular with the general public.[2] In fact, Ralph Nader said that most Americans have supported this approach for 70 years. But Politifact, a fact-checking site, rated those claims as false.[3]
It is difficult to measure support for general policy concepts like single-payer healthcare without a specific proposal and substantial public debate. In California, one of the most solidly Democratic states in the nation, a single-payer healthcare bill passed the state Senate, but it was not even brought to a vote in the state Assembly. The Senate plan included no way for covering the anticipated $200 billion tax hike required to pay for implementing it.[4]
California is one of only six Democratic trifectas, states where the party controls both houses of the state legislature as well as the governorship. Failure to pass single-payer coverage in such a political environment infuriated many progressive Democrats and even led to death threats for the House speaker.[5]
While the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, is less ambitious than a single-payer health plan, it continues to face significant consumer resistance. According to IRS data, 6.5 million people have chosen to pay a fine rather than purchase the levels of insurance mandated by Obamacare. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 15 million other Americans would opt out of Obamacare coverage if they were allowed to do so.
Yesterday’s Number showed that 2.4 million people have only one insurance option on healthcare exchanges.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- August 15, 2017 – 2.4 million people have only one insurance option on healthcare exchanges
- August 14, 2017 – $31 million spent on 2017 ballot measures
- August 11, 2017 – 451 times police departments forced to rehire fired officers
- August 10, 2017 – 50.6% of votes In Election 2016 were cast by millennials and Gen-Xers
- August 9, 2017 – 6.5 million Americans paid a fine rather than signing up for Obamacare coverage
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Pew Research Center, "Public support for ‘single payer’ health coverage grows, driven by Democrats," June 23, 2017
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Elizabeth Warren: ‘The next step is single-payer’ health care," June 27, 2017
- ↑ Politifact, "For 70 years, most Americans have supported single-payer government-run health insurance?" May 14, 2014
- ↑ LA Times, "Single-payer healthcare could cost $400 billion to implement in California," May 22, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Battle breaks out in California over single-payer healthcare," July 2, 2017
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