60%
of U.S. adults believe Congress would address issue of the uninsured
in event Democrats take control, poll finds
Oct 26, 2006--Sixty percent of U.S. adults believe Democrats would
work to provide health insurance to the uninsured if they take
control of Congress after the midterm elections, according to a
USA Today/Gallup
poll released Thursday,
USA Today reports.
For the poll, 1,002 adults from Friday through Sunday were
surveyed about their expectations regarding a takeover of
Congress by Democrats.
According to the poll, 52% of respondents believe Democrats would
allow the purchase of prescription medications from abroad and 72%
would approve of such a move. In addition, 79% of respondents would
approve of efforts to expand health insurance to the uninsured.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who likely would
become the first female House speaker if Democrats take control of
the chamber, said she would work to lift a ban on federal
negotiations with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for
Medicare beneficiaries.
"Most Americans predict Democrats will win control of the
House of Representatives in the elections Nov. 7," according
to
USA Today.
However, some analysts say that if Democrats win the
majority in Congress, "leaders would need to take care not
to overreach,"
USA Today
reports (Page,
USA
Today, 10/26).
The
survey is available
onlinee.
CongressDaily
Series
In related news,
CongressDaily
on Thursday featured the eighth installment in a series examining
potential issues Democrats would address if they take control of
Congress after the November elections.
According to
CongressDaily,
Democrats' "first priority ... in their effort" to reduce the number
of uninsured residents would be to address funding shortfalls in
SCHIP, which is slated for reauthorization next year.
Democrats "hope to expand eligibility and increase the number of
low- and moderate-income children enrolled in the program,"
CongressDaily
reports.
In addition, Democrats will look to "correct what [they] consider
flaws" in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to
CongressDaily.
Democrats also will look to confirm a permanent
FDA commissioner and
increase oversight of the agency.
Other issues a Democratic Congress would address include stem cell
research and health care information technology legislation that
would authorize greater federal funding to help physicians and
hospitals purchase new technology and would mandate privacy
protections,
CongressDaily
reports (Lee,
CongressDaily,
10/25).
