Leaders in health care and healthcare policy feel strongly that President Barack Obama should pursue an ambitious healthcare reform agenda that expands coverage while also improving quality and efficiency and controlling costs. Sixty-six percent say that the new administration should pursue the goals simultaneously, according to the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey
When asked which features were important to act on immediately, an overwhelming majority--83 percent--said expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was absolutely essential or very important. Investment in healthcare IT in the economic stimulus package (supported by 78 percent) and access to public health insurance coverage for the long-term unemployed (supported by 72 percent) were also seen as crucial.
The survey asked respondents to identify what they think the new Obama administration should make its top healthcare priorities. Ninety-two percent favored allowing uninsured people to buy health insurance through a health insurance exchange, while 89 percent supported expanding eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP to low-income adults and children. When asked how the administration should prioritize reform measures if they needed to happen in phases, a wide majority felt that Medicaid and SCHIP eligibility expansion (82 percent) and funding for healthcare IT (76 percent) should be part of phase one.
Read the survey results.
