Poll: 6 in 10 oppose cutting Medicare to lower deficit

A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that most of the public wants deficit reduction, but they want it without cutting major social programs like Medicare and Medicaid. On health care, the public favors requiring drug makers to give the government 'a better deal' on medications for low-income seniors and making higher-income seniors pay more for coverage to reduce the deficit. Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Foundation.

Reuters: Public Wants Deficit Reduction But Not Programs Cuts: Polling Data
Most Americans want President Barack Obama and Congress to reduce the federal deficit without cutting Medicare, Social Security and education, according to polling data released Thursday. A joint survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Kaiser Family Foundation also showed majorities support President Barack Obama's plan to expand Medicaid and provide subsidized private health insurance to working families through new online state exchanges (Morgan, 1/24).

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Whose Budget Fix Is More Popular?
Democracy has its merits, lots of them. But trying to find a popular fix to the budget deficit by parsing public-opinion polls is, well, a challenge. … But 58 percent oppose any spending cuts to Medicare or Social Security, and 46% oppose cuts to Medicaid. Three quarters said the deficit can be cut without major reductions in Medicare. That takes a lot of federal spending off the table (Wessel, 1/24).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: American Want Deficit Addressed Without Medicare Cuts, Poll Finds
Most Americans want quick action to reduce the deficit, but almost six in 10 oppose cutting Medicare spending to achieve that goal, according to a new poll released today. Lawmakers should examine other alternatives, including requiring drug makers to give the government 'a better deal' on medications for low-income seniors (85 percent) and making higher-income seniors pay more for coverage (59 percent), according to the survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health" (Carey, 1/24). 

Politico: Public Not Keen On D.C.'s Medicare Ideas
Americans want Washington to keep its hands off their Medicare. That's the gist of a poll released Thursday showing that the public isn't ready for the dramatic changes in Medicare that are under discussion to help control the nation's finances (Haberkorn, 1/24).