GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- On health and Medicare issues, Americans tend to be quite skeptical that either President George W. Bush or members of Congress are doing what is needed. More people disapprove than approve of the job Bush is doing with healthcare policy and with Medicare, in contrast to the substantial majority approval the public expresses for his overall job performance and his dealing with terrorism. Most Americans doubt that any of the Medicare bills before Congress will help them or their families, and say that Congress should do more to help senior citizens with the cost of prescription drugs. The public also gives widespread support for making it legal for U.S. citizens to buy prescription drugs from Canada.
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted Aug. 25-26, finds Americans disapproving of the way Bush is dealing both with Medicare, by a margin of 48% to 40%, and with healthcare policy more generally, by 48% to 43%.
BUSH APPROVAL
|
|
|
|
|
% |
% |
|
|
Terrorism |
66 |
31 |
|
Overall job approval |
59 |
37 |
|
Healthcare policy |
43 |
48 |
|
Medicare |
40 |
48 |
Nor are Americans pleased with congressional efforts to deal with Medicare. Seven of 10 Americans say that the Medicare changes Congress is considering will either have no effect on their family's situation (42%-43%), or make it worse (27%-29%).
Based on what you have heard or read about the changes Congress is considering making to Medicare, do you think these will -- [improve your situation, have no effect, or make your situation worse]?
BASED ON -- 188 -- ADULTS AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER
|
Improve |
No effect |
Make worse |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2003 Aug 25-26 |
26 |
43 |
27 |
4 |
|
2003 Jun 27-29 |
20 |
51 |
18 |
11 |
Based on what you have heard or read, how do you think the changes Congress is considering making to Medicare will affect your family's situation, including your parents and grandparents? Do you think these changes will -- [ROTATED: improve the situation for you and your family, have no effect, or make the situation worse for you and your family]?
BASED ON -- 805 -- ADULTS AGED 18-64
|
Improve |
No effect |
Make worse |
No opinion |
|
|
2003 Aug 25-26 |
17% |
42 |
29 |
12 |
And 76% of Americans say the new Medicare bills would not do enough to help senior citizens pay the cost of prescription drugs. Just 15% say they would do enough.
Do you think the new Medicare bills being considered by Congress would do enough to help senior citizens pay the cost of prescription drugs, or should it do more?
|
Yes, would do enough |
No, should do more |
No opinion |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
||
|
National Adults |
||||
|
2003 Aug 24-26 |
15 |
76 |
9 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 † |
19 |
67 |
14 |
|
|
18- to 29-year-olds ^ |
||||
|
2003 Aug 24-26 |
13 |
77 |
10 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 † |
23 |
70 |
7 |
|
|
30- to 49-year-olds ^ |
||||
|
2003 Aug 24-26 |
14 |
75 |
11 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 † |
14 |
72 |
14 |
|
|
50- to 64-year-olds ^ |
||||
|
2003 Aug 24-26 |
12 |
81 |
7 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 † |
22 |
64 |
14 |
|
|
65 years and older ^ |
||||
|
2003 Aug 24-26 |
23 |
70 |
7 |
|
|
2003 Jun 27-29 † |
20 |
63 |
17 |
|
|
^ |
RESULTS BASED ON 140 18- to 29-YEAR-OLDS (±9 PCT. PTS.), 395 30- to 49-YEAR-OLDS (±5 PCT. PTS.), 270 50- to 64-YEAR-OLDS (±7 PCT. PTS.), AND 193 RESPONDENTS AGED 65 AND OLDER (±8 PCT. PTS.) |
|||
|
† |
WORDING: Do you think the new Medicare bills being considered by Congress would do enough to help pay the cost of prescription drugs, or should it do more? |
|||
The negative evaluation of the prescription drugs bills is worse now than it was just two months ago -- with the largest change found among Americans in the pre-retirement age group (50-64). Today, 81% of people in this group say Congress should do more for seniors, up from 64% who expressed that view in June.
Finally, 7 in 10 Americans (71%) say Congress and the president should make it legal for Americans to buy prescription drugs from Canada and other countries outside the United States. Just 28% disagree.
As you may know, many Americans now buy prescription drugs from Canada, even though the practice is illegal, because the drugs are cheaper there than in the United States. Do you think Congress and the president should -- or should not -- make it legal for Americans to buy prescription drugs from Canada and other countries outside the U.S.?
|
Yes, should |
No, |
No |
|
|
2003 Aug 25-26 |
71% |
28 |
1 |
Republicans are much more likely than either Democrats or independents to approve of the job Bush is doing with healthcare policy and Medicare. But majorities of Republicans agree with independents and Democrats that the Medicare bills before Congress would not help them, that Congress should do more to help senior citizens pay for prescription drugs, and that Americans should be able to buy prescription drugs from Canada.
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,009 national adults, aged 18+, conducted Aug. 25-26, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling -- [RANDOM ORDER]?
E. Health care policy
|
Approve |
Disapprove |
No opinion |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2003 Aug 25-26 |
43 |
48 |
9 |
|
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2 |
46 |
44 |
10 |
|
2003 Jan 10-12 |
41 |
44 |
15 |
|
2002 Jul 26-28 |
47 |
40 |
13 |
|
2002 Mar 22-24 ^ |
52 |
37 |
11 |
|
^ Asked of half sample. |
|||
G. Medicare
|
Approve |
Disapprove |
No opinion |
|
|
2003 Aug 25-26 |
40% |
48 |
12 |
|
2003 Jan 31-Feb 2 |
44% |
41 |
15 |
