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Badger Poll on health care shows dissatisfaction

The Capital Times  —  10/31/2008 10:48 am

Wisconsinites have mixed feelings about the health care system today, but when pressed, a large majority said they were more dissatisfied than satisfied, according to a new Badger Poll released Friday.

The Badger Poll, conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center, was of 538 people chosen at random from Oct. 21 to 28.

Overall, 48 percent of those responding said they had mixed feelings about their satisfaction with the health care system in the Badger State, with 21 percent somewhat or very satisfied and 31 percent somewhat or very dissatisfied. Breaking the "mixed feelings" down, 59 percent said they lean more toward dissatisfied than satisfied.

Almost two-thirds of the people polled said the health care system is in trouble, with 53 percent saying the health care system has major problems and 9 percent saying it is in a state of crisis, while 35 percent felt the system has minor problems and 2 percent felt it had no problems.

Seventy-six percent of those polled said the cost of health care is either extremely or quite problematic, similar to the 75 percent saying it was extremely or quite problematic in the April 2008 Badger Poll.

Most polled said something needs to be done to change the health care system, with 79 percent saying they are opposed to the state doing nothing and only 19 percent saying nothing needs to be done.

The Badger Poll also showed 78 percent favoring expanding the eligibility requirements for BadgerCare and Medicaid so more uninsured people would get health care coverage; 63 percent were in favor of requiring all residents to have health insurance, either from an employer or another source, with subsidies made to low-income residents to help pay for coverage; and 60 percent were in favor of tax-free health savings accounts to pay for regular health care bills with an accompanying insurance plan to pay for major medical bills.

The Capital Times  —  10/31/2008 10:48 am