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Appendix D: University Town Hall Survey

March 22, 2006 (All Universities Combined)

NOTE: TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS = 772.

D1. Are you male or female?

Male 40.7%
Female 59.1
No response 0.3

D2. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

Yes 4.2%
No 95.0
No response 0.9

D3. How old are you?

Under 25 17.0%
25-44 35.2
45-64 36.1
65 and over 11.5
No response 0.1

D4. Which of these groups best represents your race? (Check all that apply.)
(NOTE: THE PERCENTAGES ARE AMONG PEOPLE WHO PROVIDED A RESPONSE TO AT LEAST ONE RACE: N=759 OUT OF 772.)

Race

Yes No response
White 80.9% 19.1%
Black or African American 6.3 93.7
Asian 9.1 90.9
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.5 99.5
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5 99.5
Other 4.2 95.8

D5. What is the highest grade or year of school you completed?

Elementary (grades 1-8) or less 0.4%
Some high school 0.3
High school graduate or GED 0.9
Some college 10.8
Associate Degree 1.6
Bachelor’s Degree 31.6
Masters' Degree 31.1
Doctoral Degree 22.8
No response 0.7

D6. What is your primary source of health insurance?

Employer-based insurance

65.8%
Self-purchased insurance 10.6
Medicare 9.1
Medicaid 0.5
Veteran's 1.3
Other 7.4
None 4.0
Not sure 0.8
No response 0.5

D7. What is your employment status?

Self-employed 5.2%
Employed, working full-time 46.0
Employed, working part-time 17.5
Not employed currently/looking for work 5.2
Homemaker 1.3
Retired 9.3
Other 14.9
No response 0.7

1. Which one of these statements do you think BEST describes the U.S. health care system today?

It is in a state of crisis

47.9%
It has major problems 48.6
It has minor problems 3.0
It does not have any problems --
No response 0.5

2. Which one of the following do you think is the MOST important reason to have health insurance?

To pay for everyday medical expenses

30.7%
To protect against high medical costs 63.1
No opinion 1.6
No response 1.2
Other 3.5

3. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement about health insurance coverage and public policy in the United States? By public policy, we mean a public goal set out in federal or state law. “It should be public policy (that is, a public goal set out in federal or state law) that all Americans have affordable health care insurance or other coverage.”

Strongly Agree 77.2%
Agree 17.8
Neutral 1.6
Disagree 0.7
Strongly Disagree 2.1
No response 0.8

4. Health insurance coverage can be organized in different ways. Which statement best describes your views on how health care coverage should be organized?

Provide coverage for particular groups of people (for example, employees, people who are elderly or cannot work because of disability, or people with very low incomes) as the case is now. 7.5
Provide coverage for everyone, for a defined level of benefits (either by expanding the current system or by creating a new system). 90.0
No response 1.9
Other 0.5

5. Should everyone be required to enroll in basic health care coverage, either private or public?

Yes 82.4%
No 15.0
No response 2.5
Other 0.1

6. Should some people be responsible for paying more than others?

Yes 81.2%
No 15.2
No response 3.4
Other 0.3

7. What criteria should be used for making some people pay more?
(NOTE: THE PERCENTAGES ARE AMONG PEOPLE WHO PROVIDED A RESPONSE TO AT LEAST ONE REASON: N=754 OUT OF 772.)

Q

Reason

Yes
No response
Not/Applicable
7_a None-everyone should pay the same
12.3%
87.7%
--%
7_b Family size*
--
--
100.0
7_c Health behaviors
42.7
57.3
--
7_d Income
70.7
29.3
--
7_e Other*
--
--
100.0
7_f Age
6.8
93.2
--
7_g Prior or current health conditions
7.6
92.4
--

8. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about controlling the rising costs of health care in America? (NOTE: THE PERCENTAGES ARE AMONG PEOPLE WHO PROVIDED A RESPONSE TO AT LEAST ONE STATEMENT: N=686 OUT OF 772.)

Q Statement
(
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree)
SA
(5)
A
(4)
N
(3)
D
(2)
SD
(1)
Other
8_a Health plans/insurers should use financial incentives (such as higher payments) to hospitals and doctors that provide efficient, high-quality care.
23.8%
46.9%
15.3%
10.4%
3.6%
--
8_b Health plans/insurers should not pay for high-cost technologies or treatments that have not been proven to be safe and medically effective.
22.3
35.7
20.6
18.5
2.9
--
8_c Health plans/insurers should not pay for high-cost technologies or treatments even if they have been proven to be safe and medically effective if less expensive yet equally safe and medically effective technologies or treatments are available.
22.7
39.4
15.3
15.7
6.9
--
8_d Health plans/insurers should use financial incentives (such as adjusting premiums and copayments) to encourage consumers to use more efficient and high-quality providers.
16.6
43.6
20.0
13.4
6.4
--
8_e Health plans/insurers should use financial incentives to encourage consumers to pursue healthy lifestyles and prevention.
43.6
38.6
10.5
4.5
2.8
--
8_f Governments should set limits on prices for health care products, such as prescription drugs or medical devices.
33.7
34.1
14.4
11.7
6.0
0.2
8_g Governments should make it harder to qualify for enrollment in their programs that provide health coverage or health care services.
1.6
3.4
13.7
34.8
46.5
--
8_h Governments should improve the administration and efficiency of their health care programs.
53.6
35.1
7.6
2.0
1.6
--
8_i The private sector should increase efforts to improve the efficiency of health care providers that are paid through private insurance.
32.7
41.6
18.5
5.4
1.9
--
8_j Doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers should invest more in computerized information systems to monitor and improve health care quality, reduce errors, and improve administrative efficiencies.
41.6
42.1
12.0
2.8
1.6
--

8_k. Do you have a preferred solution?
If there is a comment, write the specific response here.

{OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES}

9. There are different ways to assure coverage for all Americans. Remembering that we all pay for the cost of health care through insurance premiums, taxes, or consumer prices, how much do you agree or disagree with the following options?

Q Statement
(
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree)
SA
(5)
A
(4)
N
(3)
D
(2)
SD
(1)
Other
9_a Offer uninsured Americans income tax deductions, credits, or other financial assistance to help them purchase private health insurance on their own.
10.4%
24.7%
17.7%
31.1%
15.9%
0.2%
9_b Expand state government programs for low-income people, such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, to provide coverage for more people without health insurance.
26.5
45.0
12.9
11.1
4.5
--
9_c Rely on free market competition among doctors, hospitals, other health care providers and insurance companies, rather than having government define benefits and set prices.
4.8
11.0
14.9
34.9
34.4
--
9_d Open up enrollment in national federal programs like Medicare or the federal employees’ health benefit program.
22.1
41.2
23.0
10.2
3.5
--
9_e Require businesses to offer health insurance to their employees.
18.3
28.5
21.1
23.8
8.3
--
9_f Expand neighborhood health clinics.
34.4
44.3
15.8
3.4
2.2
--
9_g Create a national health plan, financed by taxpayers, in which all Americans would get their health insurance.
51.5
26.6
9.1
7.0
5.9
--
9_h Require that all Americans enroll in basic health care coverage, either private or public.
37.7
35.8
12.7
9.7
4.1
--
9_i Increase flexibility given states in how they use federal funds (such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program) to maximize coverage.
15.5
42.7
22.2
13.5
6.1
--
9_j Expand current tax incentives available to employers and their employees to encourage them to offer insurance to more workers and their families.
19.7
40.8
18.0
14.8
6.7
--


10. OPTIONAL: Considering the rising cost of health care, which of the following should be the MOST important priorities for public spending on health and health care in America? Choose up to 3.
NOTE: 626 respondents answered at least one of the questions below. The percentages are only of those 626 respondents.

    Yes No Response
10_a Guaranteeing that there are enough health care providers, especially in inner cities and rural areas.
23.5%
76.5%
10_b Investing in public health programs to prevent disease, promote health lifestyles, and protect the public during epidemics or disasters.
71.8
28.2
10_c Guaranteeing that all Americans have health insurance.
60.3
39.7
10_d Funding the development of computerized health information to improve the quality and efficiency of health care.
20.3
79.8
10_e Funding medical education to ensure that we have enough high-quality medical professionals and health care workers.
13.9
86.1
10_f Funding programs that help eliminate problems in access to or quality of care for minorities.
20.3
79.8
10_g
Funding biomedical and technological research.
11.2
88.8
10_h Guaranteeing that all Americans get health care when they need it, though some form of private or public program, including "safety net" programs for those who cannot afford care otherwise.
65.3
34.7

11. OPTIONAL: How much do you agree or disagree with the following possible trade-off?
NOTE: 621 respondents answered at least one of the questions below. The percentages are only of those 621 respondents.

Q Statement
(
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree)
SA
(5)
A
(4)
N
(3)
D
(2)
SD
(1)
No Response
Other
11_a Accepting a significant waiting time for non-critical care to get a 10% reduction in health care costs.
9.9%
36.7%
21.6%
22.7%
6.6%
2.4%
0.2%
11_b Paying a higher deductible in your insurance for more choice of doctors and hospitals.
8.9
35.3
22.4
24.0
7.7
1.7
--
11_c Paying more in taxes to have basic health insurance coverage for all.
35.0
39.8
9.4
10.7
4.1
1.1
--
11_d Expanding federal programs to cover more people, but provide fewer services to persons currently covered by those programs.
5.2
19.1
23.7
38.9
10.8
2.4
--
11_e Limiting coverage for certain end-of-life care services of questionable value in order to provide more at-home and comfort care for the dying.
27.7
35.3
20.2
11.3
3.3
2.2
--

Number of Surveys, by University

University Name

Number of Responses Percent
Boston University
33
4.3%
Drexel University
34
4.4
Emory University
14
1.8
George Washington University
18
2.3
Indiana University
43
5.6
Louisiana State University/Tulane University
27
3.5
Michigan State
39
5.1
Northwestern University
23
3.0
Ohio State University
42
5.4
Penn State University
44
5.7
Purdue University
63
8.2
University of Illinois
26
3.4
University of Iowa
27
3.5
University of Michigan
87
11.3
University of Minnesota
99
12.8
University of Wisconsin
46
6.0
University at Albany
18
2.3
University of Arkansas
10
1.3
University of Louisville
18
2.3
University of South Carolina
10
1.3
Johns Hopkins University
34
4.4
Grey Panthers—Huron Valley
17
2.2