Country: United States
Survey Organization: Harris Interactive, Inc.
Field Date: December 8, 2008–January 2, 2009
Sample: Peer-nominated experts in health care policy, finance, and delivery; select members of the Modern Healthcare database
Sample Size: 194
Interview Method: Online/E-mail
Read an analysis of the findings in a Data Brief. Also available are two related commentaries, The Minnesota Way by Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, and Road to Reform by Max Baucus, Senator from Montana.
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 premium assistance for recently laid off workers, and allowing long-term unemployed Americans access to a public health insurance program.
Methodology:
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Commonwealth Fund among 194 opinion leaders in health policy and innovators in health care delivery and finance within the United States between December 1, 2008, and January 2, 2009. Harris Interactive sent out individual e-mail invitations to the entire panel containing a password-protected link and a total of four reminder emails were sent to those that had not responded. No weighting was applied to these results.
