(Don’t Worry, We Won’t!)
Sarah Sattelmeyer, Senior Research Associate, The Mobility Agenda
As Dr. Altman points out, the way the public perceives an issue often predicts how that issue will fare on the legislative agenda. But language used to talk about that issue can also influence communication and opinions.
When you present information, people use previous experiences and knowledge as shortcuts to mentally organize that information in a way that makes sense to them. The poll referenced in this article by Dr. Altman asks people how they conceptualize getting health care “by themselves.” In general, I would imagine that many people, when asked undertake a large task alone, such as wading through the sea of healthcare options, would feel that it would be difficult.
However, this poll does not represent all viable health care reform proposals; not all health care proposals that separate health care coverage from employment status actually require individuals to find and sign up for their own health coverage.
While I agree that this poll does show that the public is somewhat uneasy with a major, national policy change, does it overestimate how strongly people feel? I certainly don’t know the answer, but I am raising the question as a way of demonstrating that we desperately need a new dialogue to discuss health care, one that is as inclusive of policies as it will (hopefully!) be of people.