Health Insurance Reform Daily Mythbuster: 'Doctors Oppose Public Health Insurance Option'
09/14/2009
Health insurance reform opponents continue to spread myths about components of America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, including the myth that doctors oppose current health insurance reform proposals. In fact, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine today released a survey conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation highlighting the overwhelming support among physicians from across the country for a public health insurance option as part of comprehensive health insurance reform.
Myth: It’s Democrats versus the Doctors.
Fact: According to a new survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 63 percent of physicians support a health reform proposal that includes both a public option and traditional private insurance. If the additional 10 percent of doctors who support a public-only option are included, then 73 percent of doctors across the country support inclusion of a public option. Only 27 percent of those surveyed support private-only options.
Inclusion of a public option is popular among doctors in every region of the nation. The percentage of physicians – by region -- who support either: 1) a reform proposal including both a public option and traditional private insurance or 2) a public-only option are as follows:
- 81.5 percent - Northeast
- 75.9 percent -West
- 71.4 percent - Midwest
- 65.2 percent - South