The majority of Wisconsin residents think there are major problems with health care in the state, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The recent UW Survey Center poll, which comes only a few days after a Harvard University Institute of Politics survey, said health care was the second most important issue to voters aged 18 to 24.
According to the poll, 50 percent of state residents feel health care in Wisconsin has major problems and 12 percent said the health care system is in a state of crisis.""
Fifty-one percent of Wisconsinites favor some form of state government-run health care that covers all residents, the poll said. Sixty-one percent said they favored tax-free health savings accounts to pay for health care costs.
Democrats favored one government system over health savings accounts, with the reverse true for Republicans, according to the poll.
Julie Laundrie, spokesperson for state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, said the poll showed support for proposals like the Healthy Wisconsin plan. Erpenbach is one of the main authors of the plan.
Healthy Wisconsin would give all state residents health care similar to that given to state lawmakers, and Laundrie said the poll shows people want major changes in the health care system.
The plan was included in the Democratic-controlled Senate budget proposal, but was left out of the final version of the state budget due to opposition in the Republican-controlled Assembly.
Laundrie said health savings accounts are not an option for average income residents and that they do not lower the actual cost of health care
Jim Bender, spokesperson for state Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said the 51 percent in favor of universal health care was due to the question not being very specific.
A compromise bill involving health savings accounts and Healthy Wisconsin, according to Bender, would not be possible. He said Healthy Wisconsin would change the current system so much that any compromises would nullify the bill.
The Healthy Wisconsin plan is currently being redrafted in some minor areas, according to Carrie Lynch, spokesperson for state Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston.
