Weeks after President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress urging passage of his health-care reforms, public opinion on the issue remains divided in Arizona.
Fifty percent of Arizona registered voters believe major reform is necessary, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Walter Cronkite School in partnership with Eight/KAET. Thirty-one percent of respondents think minor changes are necessary, while 12 percent believe the current health-care system is fine.
Despite a majority of respondents saying health-care reform is needed, 53 percent said they disapprove of Obama’s handling of the issue while 38 percent said they approve.
Jody Sekerak, 40, said the reforms are too expensive and that Obama’s plan is a government takeover of a private industry.
“I’m totally against it because it costs too much money,” said Sekerak, a health-care statistician for the federal government. “There’s no reason we need a total reform when 80 percent of the public is happy.”
Sekerak also said he believes the president will lose his Democrat majority in Congress in the midterm elections if the reforms pass.
Brian Sloan, 32, a county attorney from Phoenix, agreed that Obama shouldn’t be trying to reform health-care insurance policy.
“Health-care reform is not in the Constitution; it is illegal,” said Brian Sloan. “(Obama) is taking health care to a socialist ideal.”
Sloan said he would like to see health care become an issue decided by the states.
The survey also found that 78 percent of voters are very satisfied or generally satisfied with their health insurance while 15 percent reported they are somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
Keith Bryant, 36, a repossession agent for Chase Bank from Glendale, said he is part of that minority feeling dissatisfied.
“Every American citizen needs to be insured,” Bryant said. “The system now is not working at all and never worked.”
Bryant said he pays $350 a month for his health insurance and hopes that number will go down if reform is passed.
The poll asked respondents how they feel about the government offering health insurance, also known as a public option. Fifty-seven percent said they don’t have enough information to form an opinion while 25 percent said they were in favor of it. Eighteen percent opposed the idea.
Kennesha Jackson, a journalism senior, said she supports a public option.
“Personally, I think that there should be a public option, and it should work toward minorities,” Jackson said. “Minorities don’t have equal access and often can’t afford health care.”
Shannon Parish, 35, from Phoenix, said she doesn’t support current proposals because there are more important issues the government should address. Parish, who currently works in customer service for Chase Bank, said she has two college degrees but has been unable to find a steady job for the past year due to the economy.
“We definitely need (health-care) reform but we need to focus on job creation first,” Parish said.
Contact the reporter at dustin.volz@asu.edu
