Poll: Most favor healthcare reform

MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A slim majority of U.S. adults favor healthcare reform, the subject of warring TV ads and contentious town hall meetings, a U.S. survey indicates.

The August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll says 53 percent of the public believes tackling health reform is more important than ever, compared to 42 percent who say the country cannot afford to take on healthcare reform right now.

Sixty-three percent of the public say they are "hopeful" about reform, 41 percent are "afraid" and 46 percent are "confused."

Thirty-six percent say their family will be better off if health reform passes. However, the share who believes their family will be worse off has jumped 10 percentage points since July and is now at 31 percent.

Asked which elements of health reform are the most important to them, 32 percent say their top choice is expanding and subsidizing health coverage to Americans who have been unable to afford it, 24 percent say insurance reform, 19 percent say strengthening prevention programs and 9 percent say reducing healthcare costs.

The telephone survey -- designed by Kaiser Family Foundation and conducted Aug. 4-Aug. 11 among a nationally representative random sample of 1,203 U.S. adults -- has a margin of error of plus/minus 3 percentage points.