Poll: Most Willing to Pay More for Quality When It Comes to Health Care

I was intrigued by this poll and story done by Rasmussen concerning whether individuals would be willing to sacrifice quality in order to have more affordable health care. 

Apparently not. The findings:

While health care costs are rising rapidly, 64% of American adults say that quality care is more important than lower health care costs (25%).  That sentiment is echoed across all demographics in the latest Rasmussen Reports survey (see crosstabs).

The survey also found that Americans underestimate how much it costs companies to provide insurance for an employee and their family.

Half (50%) of all Americans estimate the cost at $750 per month or less. Thirteen percent (13%) are in the right ballpark and estimate an average monthly insurance cost of $750 to $1,000. Only 10% overestimate the cost and assume that insurance premiums for a family would top $1,000 per month.

According to the 2006 Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey, the average cost of family health insurance coverage is $957 per month or $11,480 per year.

Of course, quality care only matters if you can afford it.  I wonder if the survey question had been asked slightly differently whether there would be more individuals who would have answered that they just like to have some health care coverage from their employers versus none at all.

I would also be interested to hear whether most Americans believe they can still get quality health care coverage for affordable prices under the current employer-provided health care system.  The lack of understanding of how much adequate health care costs suggests perhaps they are mistaken about what the current system can provide for them.

PS