1. Healthcare Workers and the 2008 Election Key findings from survey among 1,042 healthcare workers (606 nurses, 436 non-nurses) conducted July 7 – 11, 2008 for HART RESEARCH P e t e r D A S S O T E S C I A
2. Healthcare Workers Dissatisfied With Nation’s Health Care, Satisfied With Own Satisfaction with Nation’s Health Care System Satisfaction with Cost/Quality of Own Health Care 34% 65% 60% 37%
3. Strong Support For Healthcare United’s Themes Put patients’ needs ahead of insurance/drug companies Ensure health care workers have staffing/resources Ensure health care funding to patient care, not insurance Reduce insurance co. power in patient care decisions Fair wages/conditions to attract health care workers Cut waste/inefficiency to control cost & maintain quality Give individuals more control over their health care More competition in insurance industry to lower costs More competition in insurance industry for consumer choice % rating each as an extremely important commitment (9-10 on zero-to-ten scale)
4. Healthcare Workers Split On Priority: Reducing Costs Vs Covering Uninsured Which should be the higher health care priority? Reducing the cost of health care Providing health insurance to the uninsured
5. Expectation Growing For Major Changes In Health Care System In Next Few Years Likelihood President/Congress Make Major Changes to Health Care System in Next Few Years December 2007 34% 62% July 2008 49% 47% Bigger Worry about Changes to Health Care System President won’t be able to make needed changes President will make wrong kinds of changes
6. Healthcare Workers’ Top Voting Issues In 2008 Two Most Important Issues in 2008 Presidential Election Jobs/economy Health care War in Iraq Energy prices Terrorism/security Environment Taxes Illegal immigration Dec 2007 34% 58% 37% N/A 17% N/A 13% 16%
7. Obama Leads Overall Among Health- care Workers; Nurses Are Split Presidential Trial Heat Nurses 43% Non-nurses 36% All healthcare workers 39% 40% 48% 30% 39% Swing voters 36% Swing voters 43% Swing voters
8. Healthcare Workers More Confident Obama Will Make Health Care A Priority Confidence That Obama Will Make Health Care A Priority 47% 46% 64% 27% Confidence That McCain Will Make Health Care A Priority Better approach on health care issues: Obama McCain 43% 22%
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10. Obama’s Plan Better For Uninsured, But Not Insured People Who Already Have Health Insurance People Who Are Currently Uninsured
11. Policy Contrasts Favor Obama Coverage for pre-existing conditions Allowing Medicare to negotiate Rx prices Overall plan contrasts Expanding S-CHIP funding Guaranteeing coverage for uninsured
12. Obama’s Health Care Record Seen As Reason to Support Him As state senator, led campaign for good nurse-to-patient ratios Worked for laws to improve women’s health Fought for hospital/ health care funding for patient care Favors investing in health care info tech to reduce errors/lower costs Record of bringing people together on health care issues Bill to ban mandatory overtime for nurses 59% 54% 54% 54% 49% 44%
13. McCain’s Record Raises Doubts In Minds Of Many Healthcare Workers Tax employer health benefits = $1000 tax hike Spend billions in Iraq, cut funding for Medicare/caid Repeatedly voted to cut, restrict Medicare/caid Voted against tax credits for senior long-term care His comprehensive coverage too expensive Would give families $5K tax credit; real cost is $12K Voted against small business tax credit for covering employees 30+ health care lobbyists in his campaign Four more years of BushCare=more uninsured 69% 64% 59% 66% 64% 64% 62% 59% 58%
14. After Information, Support For Obama Grows For each question, Obama advantage over McCain Nurses Better health plan Vote for president Non-nurses Better health plan Vote for president
15. High Interest In National Organization Of Healthcare Workers How much interest would you have in receiving information about the presidential candidates’ positions and records on health care issues from such an organization? “ A national organization for people who work in the health care field, and its goal is to give healthcare workers a stronger voice in the national debate about health care issues” Great deal/ fair amount of interest Just some interest Very little interest
16. Preferred Approaches In Communi-cating About Presidential Election In each pair, which approach do you prefer? Focus on how the candidates' records and proposals affect healthcare workers on the job, such as staffing levels and having the resources to do your job Focus more broadly on how the candidates' records and proposals on health care might affect American families like yours Remain completely nonpartisan and do not make a recommendation about whom to vote for Act as a strong advocate for the candidate they think would make the most progress for health care in America and healthcare workers 51% among nurses 33% among nurses
