Aug. 11, 2021 — Giant majorities of each Democrats and Republicans consider that nurses and well being care aides are underpaid, whereas many People say medical doctors, bodily therapists, and pharmacists are paid about the correct amount, in accordance to a new poll.
The bipartisan settlement on well being care staff’ pay stands in distinction to the sharp divide between Democrats and Republicans on well being coverage points, which has remained largely unchanged since earlier than the pandemic.
The ballot was taken June 10-14 by the College of Chicago Harris Faculty of Public Coverage and The Related Press-NORC Heart for Public Affairs Analysis.
Solely 11% of respondents consider medical doctors are underpaid, 50% suppose they’re paid the correct amount, and 39% suppose they’re overpaid.
In distinction, 59% of People suppose nurses are underpaid, 32% consider they’re paid the correct amount, and 6% say they’re paid an excessive amount of. The outcomes for well being care aides are about the identical.
Insurance executives and hospital executives took it on the chin on this survey. A whopping 73% of respondents say well being plan officers are overpaid; 68% say the identical about hospital executives.
Little Distinction Between Events
Breaking the info down by political affiliation, only some proportion factors separate Democrats, independents, and Republicans in whether or not they suppose medical doctors and nurses are underpaid, overpaid, or obtain the correct amount. Seventy-six p.c of Democrats, 53% of independents, and 65% of Republicans suppose hospital executives are overpaid.
Partisanship additionally has little affect on the extent of belief in well being care professionals. General, 70% of People belief their medical doctors to do what is correct for them and their households, together with 72% of Republicans, 52% of independents, and 77% of Democrats. Belief in nurses is even increased, at 79% for all respondents.
Equally, 75% of respondents belief pharmacists, with related numbers of Republicans and Democrats.
Three-quarters of the overall pattern mistrust hospital executives, together with 70% of Democrats, 76% of independents, and 79% of Democrats.
Well being Care Coverage Divide
As at all times, Republicans and Democrats differ on key well being coverage points. Whereas 44% of People favor the Reasonably priced Care Act, and 31% oppose it, solely 14% of Republicans and 26% of independents endorse the legislation. In distinction, 77% of Democrats help what’s turn into generally known as Obamacare.
When requested in regards to the “public choice” — a government-administered well being plan out there to all People that might compete with non-public medical health insurance — 48% of the respondents endorse it, and 20% oppose it. However simply 27% of Republicans and 38% of independents help this coverage, in comparison with 71% of Democrats.
Equally, 38% of People need a single-payer well being care system and 35% don’t need it. The chances of Republicans (18%) and independents (27%) who just like the single-payer system are far decrease than the 59% of Democrats who’re prepared for it.
There are far smaller variations amongst People on the query of whether or not the federal authorities and personal insurers ought to be allowed to barter for decrease costs on pharmaceuticals. Seventy-two p.c of respondents help this concept, together with 68% of Republicans, 55% of independents, and 82% of Democrats.
Extra Liberals Need Raises for Nurses
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act, a single-payer system, and a public choice are extra doubtless than different People to say that nurses and well being care aides are underpaid and insurance coverage executives are overpaid.
Nearly all of People favor authorities funding to extend the variety of medical doctors, however Democrats are considerably extra more likely to endorse the coverage than are Republicans. The extent of help for this coverage is much like that for increasing authorities well being protection for low-income folks. However growing the variety of medical doctors is much less standard than utilizing authorities funding to decrease out-of-pocket prices for sufferers.
Whereas 70% of Democrats favor authorities help for growing the variety of medical doctors, solely 41% of Republicans again such a proposal. Equally, 84% of Democrats help growing funding for expanded authorities medical health insurance protection for low-income folks, in comparison with 33% of Republicans.
