Health care duty

Poll: Most Americans say health care is government duty

By Nick Gass

The government should ensure the health care coverage of all Americans, 51 percent of adults said in a new Gallup survey released Monday. That is slightly more than the 47 percent of Americans who said it is not the government's responsibility, though the difference is still within the poll's margin of error.

The 51 percent is the highest share of American sentiment in that direction since 2006, when nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) said government is responsible and just 28 percent did not. In the years following, only in 2011 did Americans have a more positive view of the role in government in health care than negative.

Support for a government role in health care increased along most demographic lines, most significantly among those aged 50 to 64 (up 12 points) and households making less than $30,000 (up 13 points).

Between 2000 and 2008, the year Barack Obama won the presidential election, support for the government's role ran between 54 percent and 69 percent.

Though at its lowest level in recent years, 55 percent to 41 percent expressed support for a health care system based on private insurance rather than one run by the government. In 2014, 61 percent to 35 percent felt the same way. All age groups feel that way, save for one: those aged 18 to 29, 53 percent of whom preferred a government-run system to 45 percent in favor of private insurance. Those aged 65 or older were most supportive of a private insurance system, 63 percent to 31 percent, despite receiving Medicare.

The poll was conducted by telephone from Nov. 4-8, surveying 1,021 adults nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.