About AWB Overview Mission and Vision Directions to AWB Awards AWB Staff Staff Biographies Committees & Councils Membership Overview Helping Members Return on Investment Future Earnings WISHA Offer Products & Services Overview Health Benefits Workers' Comp Refunds Seminars AWB Freight Certificate Programs AWB Online Store Governmental Affairs Legislative Action Center Policy Principles Legislative Objecives AWB Events Calendar Links and Resources Members Login  Last Name:  Office: - Select Office - State Senate State House U.S. Senate U.S. House Statewide Offices  District: Find Your District   - Select District - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49   Home  /  Legislative Action Center  /  Issues - Health Care  /  AWB Poll Finds Voters Favor Private Health Care Solutions AWB Poll Finds Voters Favor Private Health Care Solutions Written On: March 06, 2007 Written By: Richard Davis OLYMPIA—Washington voters rank health care among their leading concerns, believe government must act to control costs, and want to keep the health care system managed by the private sector, not government. These are some of the results of a survey conducted for the Association of Washington Business by Moore Information and Davis, Hibbitts and Midgehall. The survey of 500 Washington voters was conducted by telephone between Feb. 19 and 20, and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence levels. "As the Legislature continues to work on health care reform," says Don Brunell, AWB president, "lawmakers should remember that 94 percent of voters have health insurance and 87 percent of them are satisfied with it. As a state, we should work to expand coverage to the uninsured without jeopardizing the good employer-based system that is effectively serving most Washingtonians." Voters favor having government offer incentives for businesses and individuals to pay for their own health care (54 percent) over government guaranteed health insurance (33 percent). And they prefer a market-driven health care plan, 58 percent to 33 percent, over a universal health plan managed and paid for by state government. The survey found wide support for tax incentives to businesses that provide health insurance (88 percent), taxpayer subsidies to small businesses who provide health insurance (76 percent), and subsidies to small businesses to help them buy health insurance (70 percent). Voters opposed requiring everyone to purchase health insurance the way drivers are required to have car insurance (55 percent), banning business associations from providing small group health insurance to their members (72 percent), and requiring everyone to purchase health insurance from state government (79 percent). For a copy of survey highlights and a more comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, go to Olympia Business Watch.

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