The 17th Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey asked a diverse group of experts about priorities for the incoming administration and found President Obama enjoys a strong mandate for major elements of the health care reform proposal unveiled during the 2008 presidential campaign. There was strong support for allowing uninsured individuals to purchase coverage through a health insurance exchange, expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, creating new insurance market regulations, instituting employer provision or financing of coverage, and including a public insurance option in an insurance exchange. Large majorities of opinion leaders thought several specific health care provisions were very important or absolutely essential elements of a forthcoming economic stimulus package, including investing in health information technology, providing federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) premium assistance for recently laid-off workers, and allowing long-term unemployed Americans access to a public health insurance program.
Also see two related commentaries, The Minnesota Way by Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, and Road to Reform by Max Baucus, Senator from Montana.
