Hot Health Issues Shift But Public Opinion Stays Split

The only thing that's murkier and slower than the health overhaul legislation in Congress is public opinion about what should be done. The one-word description of American attitudes towards change from various polls have been: and, well, "split ." What's more, they have been for months, and are expected to remain so barring a major new development in the debate, say the Kaiser Family Foundation's experts. (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation).A new Kaiser tracking poll "shows little movement in measures of public opinion... from recent months." According the poll, 35 percent want Congress to take on health care now, and like what they've heard about the current plans. Slightly fewer, 33 percent, want reform, but not what Democratic lawmakers have in mind. And 26 percent think Congress should not spend time on the issue now.
"There doesn't appear to be anything... that suggests debate is going to tip radically," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive of the Kaiser Family Foundation.