Survey: Most want health insurance reform

YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. citizens overwhelmingly agree that the healthcare insurance system is broken and support reform, but they don't agree on how, a consumer survey found.

The survey from the Consumer Reports National Research Center, published in the March issue of Consumer Reports, said 82 percent of respondents favor all uninsured have access to quality, affordable healthcare. More than 80 percent of the 1,200 U.S adults polled by telephone agreed on what they think healthcare reform should entail.

They said a reformed system should guarantee coverage for all uninsured children; protection against financial ruin from illness or accident; coverage regardless of a pre-existing condition; coverage that continues after being laid off, changing jobs, or starting their own business; premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that are affordable relative to family income; and, the choice to keep their current health insurance.

However, many disagreed when asked the best method to achieve the reforms. Some favor a a mixed public/private system requiring all uninsured to buy health insurance; others favor universal healthcare similar to Canada.

Some want to continue the current mix of employer-sponsored plans, private health-insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, while others prefer giving tax incentives for individuals to purchase insurance.