Americans' confidence in the healthcare system is waning, and they aren't sure who — if anyone — can repair it, according to a recent poll.
The fourth-quarter edition of the Keckley Poll, conducted for the Keckley Report by Centiment between Nov. 14-16, surveyed 817 adults regarding their trust in the U.S. health system.
A notable 69% of respondents agreed that the health system is "fundamentally flawed and in need of major change." One major issue the respondents noted was the cost of healthcare; 74% believe the federal government should impose price controls for hospital services, prescription drugs and insurance premiums. But although respondents want the government to get involved with cost control, 76% think politicians avoid dealing with healthcare issues due to their complexity and political risk.
Their answers displayed little trust in the health systems' willingness to regulate costs itself, with 60% of respondents expressing the belief that health system puts profits above patient care. Only 49% agreed that the majority of physicians care more about caring for their patients than their income.
When asked how much confidence they have in each stakeholder — insurance companies, hospitals, physicians, the federal government and national retail health companies — to "develop a plan for the U.S. health system that maximizes what it has done well and corrects its major flaws," respondents expressed the most faith in physicians. But even then, only 32.5% would put a great deal of trust in physicians to develop a workable solution.
Here's how each stakeholder stacked up, per Keckley's poll:
|
% Trust and confidence |
"A great deal" |
"Not much/none" |
|
Insurance companies |
18.4% |
38.4% |
|
Hospitals |
27.4% |
20.7% |
|
Physicians |
32.5% |
13.6% |
|
Federal government |
14.2% |
43.5% |
|
National retail health companies |
21.3% |
27.8% |