National Poll of Registered Senior Voters Generates Unexpected Findings on Medicare Physician Payment Legislation
Majority of Medicare-age voters unaware of physician SGR reforms and show mixed views on Medicare physician reimbursement
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Bring the Vote Home survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters over age 65 reveals that seniors are generally unaware of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) legislation pending in Congress. When informed about the physician payment reform legislation that will increase reimbursement to Medicare physicians, the majority of seniors express support, but remain concerned about increased patient costs and cuts to Medicare services.
Only two in 10 seniors have heard "a lot" or "some" about the SGR legislation and just two percent indicated they had heard "a lot" about the proposed bill. When educated about the SGR reform bill, 53 percent of seniors would support Congressional action to increase Medicare reimbursement for physician services.
Of greatest concern to seniors is the prospect of higher healthcare costs. Those surveyed express strong opposition, by a 6-in-1 margin, to legislation that would increase costs for Medicare patients.
Key survey findings, released today, include:
- 77% of senior voters oppose legislation that would increase costs for seniors
- 81% of senior voters oppose legislation that would cut Medicare-covered health services
- 57% of senior voters support increasing funding for rural home healthcare services
The data suggest that access to rural healthcare is also a priority for senior voters. Increased funding for rural home healthcare services is supported by a majority of respondents and highest among seniors under age 75 (60 percent) and those who reside in rural areas (61 percent).
These survey questions were conducted as part of a Morning Consult Poll from March 23-26. The poll surveyed 1,941 senior (over age 65) registered voters and has a margin error of two percentage points.
All survey questions and results are available here.
Bring the Vote Home was launched to help senior citizens, disabled Americans, their family members, and their home healthcare clinicians participate in elections. Home healthcare beneficiaries make up a rapidly growing portion of the population, but the homebound status of many of them makes it difficult for them to participate in the electoral process. Through its voter and absentee ballot registration process, Bring the Vote Home is dedicated to helping all members of the home healthcare community participate fully in our nation's democratic process. To learn more, visit bringthevotehome.org.
SOURCE Bring the Vote Home
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