AARP: Voters favor candidates who support a plan for National Health Care Coverage…AARP 'Election Watch' poll finds voters support minimum health care benefits

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than three quarters (77 percent) of those likely to go to polls in November say they are likely to vote for a candidate who supports a plan for national health care coverage, finds a new election poll commissioned by AARP.

As the mid-term election nears, AARP has been polling baby boomer-age and older voters on the issues its members have indicated they want to hear about in national and state political debate.

"Health care has become less affordable and less accessible," explained David Sloane, senior managing director of government relations for AARP. "The voter anxiety reflected in this poll is the result of a system that is inefficient, at the mercy of uncontrollable costs and is leaving tens of millions of people without health insurance."

The AARP poll measured opinions of likely voters age 42 and above. It found that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) agree that the federal government should see that everyone has at least minimum health insurance benefits. The greatest numbers of respondents who support minimum benefits are boomer voters (ages 51 to 60). That same age cohort remains largely undecided with 61 percent saying they have yet to decide who they will vote for.

Health care is a top concern among this group of highly active voters, and AARP wants voters to have better information on candidates' views on health care issues. The "AARP Election Watch" poll found that 86 percent of the respondents claim they will vote in November. AARP is sending an important message to voters this fall, "Don't Vote -- until you know where the candidates stand." The leading organization for Americans age 50 and above is helping its members learn the facts by posting links to candidate Web sites and AARP voter guides at http://www.dontvote.com.

In addition to AARP voter guides in which the candidates express their positions in their own, unedited, words, AARP has co-sponsored gubernatorial candidate forums on health care in many states.

"AARP Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polled 1,501 ages 42 and over. It was conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1. Now through Election Day, Election Watch polls will be released weekly. Next week's poll will examine another important health care issue long-term care.

Full copies of this and other AARP "Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" polls, can be accessed at http://www.aarp.org