Is Health Care a Decisive Issue?
According to the "2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers," a poll of more than 3,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 75 conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, 79 percent of consumers believe health care will be an important issue in the 2008 election.
Forty-six percent of consumers surveyed described health care as one of the top three issues affecting their vote.
Deloitte released the survey's findings this week at HIMSS08 in Orlando, Fla.
In an unrelated, unscientific survey -- ADVANCE's online Opinion Poll for the period of Feb. 1 through Feb. 12 -- we asked:
"Do you think the economy has begun to overshadow health care as the domestic issue that will most influence the 2008 presidential election?"
Respondents who said "yes" outnumbered those who said "no" by nearly a 5:1 margin.
The quick takeaway: Health care remains a core issue for consumers. However, nothing resonates more than a hit to the voter's wallet or pocketbook.