WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A survey released Tuesday of almost 1,400 U.S. adults showed 63 percent felt reducing the cost of healthcare should be the top health priority for Congress.
The Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health survey came the same day the government announced total healthcare spending in 2003 grew 7.7 percent to a record $1.7 trillion.
The Kaiser survey respondents also said Congress and the White House should make Medicare more fiscally sound for the future -- with 58 percent ranking that No. 2 on the health priority list.
Increasing the number of Americans who have health insurance -- 45 million do not -- came in at No. 3 at 57 percent.
Hot button items in Washington were not as key outside the nation's capital -- drug importation from Canada and malpractice reform came in at Nos. 8 and 11, respectively. No. 10 on the list of priorities was stem cell research.
Overall, U.S. adults ranked healthcare third when asked to name the single most important priority for the White House and Congress to address.
Fewer Americans cited health issues -- 10 percent, than the war in Iraq -- 27 percent, or economic issues -- 17 percent.
