Health care - cost and coverage - has been a hot topic among presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
But which candidate has a plan that likely voters believe will make the biggest impact on the toughest health care problems facing the nation? The answer: Obama.
According to a report released today by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, the majority of likely voters polled selected Obama as their top presidential pick to handle the country's biggest health care issues, including the high cost of health insurance, and the millions of U.S. adults and children without insurance.
There was one health care issue that voters age 65 and older felt McCain would be better equipped than Obama to handle: The high cost of prescription medications.
"When it comes to major problems confronting the U.S. health care system, voters tend to split along party lines when asked who they think will do a better job in the White House," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children's Health. "We looked in particular at the problem of uninsurance among children, and found a strong party affiliation there too. But among all-important independent voters, Barack Obama had a strong margin over John McCain."
As part of the National Poll on Children's Health, likely voters also identified from a list of five, the top three health care problems facing the nation. Those top three are: High cost of health insurance (80 percent); affordability of prescription drugs (57 percent); and millions of uninsured children (56 percent).
Voters' candidate of choice based on nation's top health care issues:
- Health insurance is too expensive for families. The vote: McCain (38 percent) / Obama (62 percent)
- Many people can't afford prescription drugs. The vote: McCain (43 percent) / Obama (57 percent)
- Millions of children are uninsured. The vote: McCain (35 percent) / Obama (65 percent)
- Millions of adults are uninsured. The vote: McCain (35 percent) / Obama (65 percent)
- Some people get lower quality of health care than others. The vote: McCain (38 percent) / Obama (62 percent)
A candidate's position on children's health issues also will greatly impact many American's vote.
"Given the fact that over half the voters say that a candidate's position on children's health care will be an important influence for them on voting day, it certainly looks like health care will be a major issue for voters when it comes to this presidential election," says Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics and internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, and associate professor of public policy at the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.