LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Polling numbers in health care reform debate can be deceptive

By: Dear Editor, | SCNow
Published: November 13, 2009

In a letter published in the Morning News on Wednesday, the writer states that every poll shows that a majority of the public is opposed to a public option with regard to health care reform. This is not a true statement.

Many polls indicate that a majority support the public option (CBS/NY Times, Wash Post/ABC, CBS/NY Times). When the wording of the NBC/Wall St. Journal poll was changed, eliminating the word “choice” from the question posed to respondents, however, support for the public option fell below 50 percent.

In other words, when the wording indicates that public option will give Americans a choice between public and private health insurance plans, Americans like this concept.

When the wording emphasizes that the public plan will be competing with private plans, the public is much less favorable. What this shows us is that polling numbers can be very deceptive, and it is important to look at aggregate numbers, considering all of the major polls, to get a clear picture of public sentiment.

Patrick Frank
Kingstree