healthcare workers and the 2008 election

Healthcare Workers Healthcare Workers and the and the

2008 Election2008 ElectionKey findings from survey among

1,042 healthcare workers (606 nurses, 436 non-nurses) conducted July 7 – 11, 2008 for

HARTHARTRESEARCHRESEARCH

P e t e r DP e t e r D

AA SS SS OO TT EE SSCC II AA

Healthcare Workers & 2008 Election – July 2008 – Hart Research for 2

Healthcare Workers Dissatisfied With Healthcare Workers Dissatisfied With Nation’s Health Care, Satisfied With OwnNation’s Health Care, Satisfied With Own

6%

31%23%

16%

Very satisfied Somewhat satisfiedVery dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied

Satisfaction with Nation’s Health Care System

Satisfaction with Cost/Quality of Own Health Care

34%

65%60%

37%


Strong Support For Strong Support For Healthcare United’s ThemesHealthcare United’s Themes

27%

38%

41%

50%

54%

58%

61%

67%

69%Put patients’ needs ahead of

insurance/drug companies

Ensure health care workers have staffing/resources

Ensure health care funding to patient care, not insurance

Reduce insurance co. power in patient care decisions

Fair wages/conditions to attract health care workers

Cut waste/inefficiency to control cost & maintain quality

Give individuals more control over their health care

More competition in insurance industry to lower costs

More competition in insurance industry for consumer choice

% rating each as an extremely important commitment (9-10 on zero-to-ten scale)


Healthcare Workers Split On Priority: Healthcare Workers Split On Priority: Reducing Costs Vs Covering UninsuredReducing Costs Vs Covering Uninsured

48%46%

Which should be the higher health care priority?

Reducing the cost of health care

Providing health

insurance to the

uninsured


25%

64%

Expectation Growing For Major Changes Expectation Growing For Major Changes In Health Care System In Next Few YearsIn Health Care System In Next Few Years

9%

32%

14%21%

Very likely Fairly likelyVery unlikely Fairly unlikely

Likelihood President/Congress Make Major Changes to Health Care System in Next Few Years

December 2007

34%

62%

July 2008

49% 47%

Bigger Worry about Changes to Health

Care System

President won’t be able to make needed changes

President will make wrong kinds of changes


Healthcare Workers’ Top Healthcare Workers’ Top Voting Issues In 2008Voting Issues In 2008

8%

9%

11%

15%

20%

34%

38%

58%

Two Most Important Issues in 2008 Presidential Election

Jobs/economy

Health care

War in Iraq

Energy prices

Terrorism/security

Environment

Taxes

Illegal immigration

Dec2007

34%

58%

37%

N/A

17%

N/A

13%

16%


Obama Leads Overall Among Health- Obama Leads Overall Among Health- care Workers; Nurses Are Split care Workers; Nurses Are Split

Presidential Trial Heat

32% 29%

21%

30%34%

21%

34%

23%

22%

Strong Obama voters Weak Obama votersStrong McCain voters Weak McCain votersUndecided

Nurses

43%

Non-nurses

36%

All healthcare workers

39% 40%

48%

30%

39% Swing

voters

36% Swing

voters

43% Swing

voters


Healthcare Workers More Confident Healthcare Workers More Confident Obama Will Make Health Care A PriorityObama Will Make Health Care A Priority

16%21%

5%

36%

A lot of confidence Fair amount of confidenceNot much confidence Just some confidence

Confidence That Obama Will Make Health Care A Priority

47% 46%

64%

27%

Confidence That McCain Will Make Health Care A Priority

Better approach on health care issues:

ObamaMcCain

43%22%


Description Of Obama’s Plan Draws Description Of Obama’s Plan Draws More Support Than McCain’sMore Support Than McCain’s

60%

12%

47%

20%

More likely to vote for him Less likely to vote for him

How would Obama’s/McCain’s health care reform proposal affect your presidential vote?

Obama’s Proposal: Must provide quality, affordable, portable health care for all

Lower premiums for those already covered

Gives employers, self- employed, uninsured access to affordable plan like that of Congress

Seeks to cover 45 million uninsured

No denial of coverage for pre-existing condition

McCain’s Proposal: Must provide access to health care for all

Key to reform is restoring control to patients

Use competition to improve coverage, including more variety, lower prices, port- ability

Workers have option of keeping employer coverage or taking direct tax credit ($2500/individual, $5000 family) to buy coverage


Obama’s Plan Better For Uninsured, Obama’s Plan Better For Uninsured, But Not InsuredBut Not Insured

60%

22%

41% 39%

Obama's plan better for this group McCain's plan better for this group

People Who AlreadyHave Health Insurance

People Who AreCurrently Uninsured


Policy Contrasts Favor ObamaPolicy Contrasts Favor Obama

14%

51%

13%

54%

11%

56%

9%

56%

9%

59%

More likely to support Obama based on thisMore likely to support McCain based on this

Coverage for pre-existing conditions

Allowing Medicare to negotiate Rx prices

Overall plan contrasts

Expanding S-CHIP funding

Guaranteeing coverage for uninsured


Obama’s Health Care Record Seen Obama’s Health Care Record Seen As Reason to Support HimAs Reason to Support Him

28%

30%

34%

35%

36%

39%

Very convincing reason to support Obama Fairly convincing reason to support Obama

As state senator, led campaign for good

nurse-to-patient ratios

Worked for laws to improve women’s health

Fought for hospital/ health care funding for

patient care

Favors investing in health care info tech to

reduce errors/lower costs

Record of bringing people together on health

care issues

Bill to ban mandatory overtime for nurses

59%

54%

54%

54%

49%

44%


McCain’s Record Raises Doubts In McCain’s Record Raises Doubts In Minds Of Many Healthcare WorkersMinds Of Many Healthcare Workers

40%

34%

36%

39%

42%

43%

44%

46%

43%

Raises serious doubts about McCain Raises some doubts about McCain

Tax employer health benefits = $1000 tax hike

Spend billions in Iraq, cut funding for Medicare/caid

Repeatedly voted to cut, restrict Medicare/caid

Voted against tax credits for senior long-term care

His comprehensive coverage too expensive

Would give families $5K tax credit; real cost is $12K

Voted against small business tax credit for

covering employees30+ health care lobbyists

in his campaign

Four more years of BushCare=more uninsured

69%

64%

59%

66%

64%

64%

62%

59%

58%


After Information, Support For After Information, Support For Obama GrowsObama Grows

+34

+18

+43+25

+17-1

+33+17

Initial responseInformed response

For each question, Obama advantage over McCain

Nurses

Better health plan

Vote for president

Non-nursesBetter health plan

Vote for president


High Interest In National Organization High Interest In National Organization Of Healthcare WorkersOf Healthcare Workers

59%

20% 19%

How much interest would you have in receiving information about the presidential candidates’ positions and records on health care issues from such an organization?

“A national organization for people who work in the health care field, and its goal is to give healthcare workers a stronger voice in the national debate about health care issues”

Great deal/ fair amount of interest

Just some interest

Very little interest


Preferred Approaches In Communi-Preferred Approaches In Communi-cating About Presidential Electioncating About Presidential Election

35%

48%

50%

31%

In each pair, which approach do you prefer?

Focus on how the candidates' records and proposals affect healthcare workers on the job, such as staffing levels and having the resources to do your job

Focus more broadly on how the candidates' records and proposals on health care might affect American families like yours

Remain completely nonpartisan and do not make a recommendation about whom to vote for

Act as a strong advocate for the candidate they think would make the most progress for health care in America and healthcare workers

51% among nurses

33% among nurses

healthcare workers and the 2008 election

Health & Medicine