Transcript Document

Louisiana Voter Attitudes
January 13 - 17, 2012
N=600
Margin of Error ± 4.0%
Conducted on behalf of the Louisiana
State Medical Society
501 C STREET NE WASHINGTON DC 20002
Health care and education are top priorities
Chart shows combined 1st, 2nd and 3rd response
Unlike most other states the economy is not the top concern
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
Health care
Education
The environment
Taxes and spending
Crime
The economy
The cost of living
Corruption in government
Other (DNR)
None (DNR)
All (DNR)
Dont know (DNR)
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Voters disapprove of Obamacare by a 13% margin
Switching to health care reforms proposed by President Obama that were adopted a
couple of years ago, do you approve or do you disapprove of the federal health care
reform law? (PROMPT) And do you strongly or just somewhat (approve /
disapprove)?
%
Refused
Strongly approve
26.1%
Somewhat approve
14.8%
Somewhat disapprove
Strongly disapprove
Dont know
(DNR)
Strongly
approve
7.1%
46.9%
Don't know (DNR)
4.5%
Refused (DNR)
0.5%
(DNR)
Strongly
disapprove
Somewhat
approve
Somewhat
disapprove
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
3
Majorities do believe Louisiana should expand Medicaid
One of the features of the federal health care law is that it increases the number of people
covered by Medicaid, the program that is run jointly by the federal and state government to
provide health care for low income and disabled residents. If states agree to increase the
number of people covered, the federal government would pay 100% of the cost for the first
four years, and 90% of the cost in the future. If Louisiana participates more Louisianans
would receive health coverage, but some critics argue that the state cannot afford future
costs of expanding health coverage under Medicaid. First, do you think Louisiana should
participate in the expansion of Medicaid or should it not participate?
Should participate in Medicare expansion
Should not participate in Medicare expansion
Governor Jindal, a critic of Medicaid expansion, has questioned the state’s ability to pay for
future Medicaid costs and has been opposed to expanding coverage to more residents under
the Medicaid program. Others have argued that by not participating, Louisiana taxpayers are
leaving millions of federal dollars that would be available for health services on the table. On
this who do you agree with more
The Governor’s position the Louisiana should not
expand Medicaid
The position of others that we should not leave
millions in federal health care dollars on the table
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
4
Mixed reaction to reform of Charity Hospital System
Historically, many people in Louisiana relied on Charity Hospitals for a lot of their
health care. Citing Louisiana’s budget challenges, the Jindal administration and the
Legislature have been changing state health policies to utilize more private sector
contractors to provide health services, and have streamlined some services resulting
in the closure of some facilities. Do you believe the charity hospitals were working
well, or do you think changes were needed?
%
Were working well
45.7%
Changes were needed
44.2%
Neither / other / mix (DNR)
3.2%
Dont know (DNR)
6.7%
Refused (DNR)
0.3%
Neither /
other /
mix
(DNR)
Dont
know
(DNR)
Change
s were
needed
Refused
(DNR)
Were
working
well
Jury is still out: when asked whether Bayou health is working well or not
working well 70% said they had not heard enough to say.
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However, very broad support for requiring Bayou Health
disclosure
One issue being debated in the Louisiana legislature is whether the private insurance
companies managing the Bayou Health program should provide more information to the
public about their management of Medicaid health services.. Would you favor or oppose a law
to require that Bayou Health insurers publicly report on such things as the number of patients
they treat, the number of times they deny coverage to someone and the cost of providing care
to low income residents?
%
Dont know
Favor
Oppose
Dont know (DNR)
Refused (DNR)
82.1%
9.2%
8.0%
0.7%
(DNR)
Refused
(DNR)
Oppose
Favor
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Most people are satisfied with quality and access to health care,
but not cost.
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Prior Authorization
Nearly ½ have needed prior authorization. People with private
coverage much more likely to have needed it than people in publicly
funded programs
Another issue in the news is prior authorization where an insurance company needs to give prior
approval whether to go forward with a medical test or a procedure or a drug that has been prescribed
by a doctor.Have you ever been in a situation where you and your doctor needed prior authorization for
a test, a drug or a procedure, or have you not been in that situation?
Dont know
Have
Have not
Dont know (DNR)
(DNR)
%
46.6%
52.4%
1.0%
Have
Have not
Have
Have
not
N=
Yes / private plan
53.6% 44.9%
392
Yes / Medicare
38.0% 62.0%
92
Yes / Medicaid
33.3% 66.7%
30
No / no coverage
27.7% 72.3%
65
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
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1/3rd required by insurer to try a cheaper drug
And have you ever been in a situation where your insurance
company required that you first try a cheaper drug before getting
the drug your doctor had originally prescribed or have you not
been in that situation?
Have
Have not
Dont know (DNR)
Refused (DNR)
31.7%
66.9%
1.3%
0.2%
Dont know
(DNR)
Refused
(DNR)
Have
Have
not
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
9
1 in 4 reports not getting prescribed meds at all
And have you ever been in a situation where you did not get a
medication at all, when it was prescribed by your doctor but your
insurance company did not cover it, or have you not been in that
situation?
Have
Have not
Dont know (DNR)
28.0%
71.3%
0.6%
Dont know
(DNR)
Have
Have
not
Most likely:
Medicare patients (Donut hole?)
Females > 45
No relation to income
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
10
Pessimistic climate; Weak approval of Legislature
As of right now do you believe things in Louisiana are going in the right direction or have
they gotten off on the wrong track?
Right direction
37.3%
Wrong track
46.9%
Mixed / somewhere in
between / depends (DNR)
9.1%
Dont know (DNR)
5.9%
Refused (DNR)
0.9%
Mixed /
Dont know
somewhere
(DNR)
in between
/ depends
(DNR)
Refused
(DNR)
Right
direction
Wrong
track
Q3 : And do you approve or disapprove of the job done by the Louisiana State
Legislature? (IF ANSWERED ASK :) And do you strongly (approve / disapprove) or just
somewhat (approve / disapprove)?
Approve / strongly
8.6%
Approve / somewhat
37.7%
Disapprove / somewhat
20.8%
Disapprove / strongly
19.3%
Dont know (DNR)
11.5%
Refused (DNR)
2.1%
Louisiana / Jan 13 – 17 / N = 600 / MoE = 4%.
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Decline in Governor’s Approval Ratings
Do you approve or disapprove of the job done by Bobby Jindal as Governor?(IF
ANSWERED ASK :) And do you strongly (approve / disapprove) or just somewhat
(approve / disapprove)?
%
Dont
Approve / strongly
21.0%
know
(DNR)
Approve / somewhat
24.9%
Disapprove / somewhat
11.8%
Disapprove / strongly
36.6%
Dont know (DNR)
5.3%
Refused (DNR)
0.5%
Disappro
ve /
strongly
Disappro
ve /
somewh
at
Refused
(DNR)
Approve
/ strongly
Approve
/
somewh
at
Southern Media and Opinion Research reported 51% job approval
in late September, and 64% approval in September of 2011
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