Republicans pushing for medical bill transparency in the next stimulus package now have proof that it’s not only a winning issue but a healthcare plan they can build on going into the fall election.
New polling on the issue shows that 90% support the idea, and it rises to 98% among women and is sky high among the Democratic base, both targets of the Republicans and President Trump.
“In this highly polarized, partisan environment price transparency is a rare unifying issue that nearly all voters agree upon,” pollster John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates told Secrets.
“Almost 90% agree that health care organizations should disclose their prices and let patients determine the best provider for them. It’s rare that any polling issue gets almost 100%, but among women under 40 years old, this one gets 98%,” said McLaughlin, who did the survey with political consultant David Kochel of Redwave Communications.
At issue is the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act, introduced by Indiana Sen. Mike Braun and supported by several Republicans. It would put into law Trump’s executive order to require hospitals and insurers to reveal their low, discounted cash prices and negotiated rates to consumers before they receive medical care.
Officials said that alone could save consumers $1 trillion as they shop around for better prices.
“The big healthcare industry is a cartel, and the best way to break them up and achieve lower healthcare prices is through price transparency. Supporting price transparency is a winning issue for President Trump and Senate Republicans,” Braun told Secrets.
The polling would suggest that including the act in the stimulus should be a no-brainer, but Democrats appear to be resisting.
That could be because some hospitals and healthcare providers are resisting, and they have provided millions of dollars in campaign contributions to Democrats.
Still, the polling data shows that there could be damage to Democrats if they fight the effort. Below are the key findings in the McLaughlin poll provided to Secrets:
- Nearly 90% of voters agree that organizations involved in healthcare should disclose all of their prices to allow patients to determine their best healthcare provider based on quality and knowing the price upfront. There is widespread and nearly universal support (98%) among women under 40, while 95% of voters under 40 believe healthcare providers should disclose their prices.
- Eighty-two percent of voters agree that price transparency would lead to more competition, improving quality, and lowering health costs and prices.
- There is a strong urgency to pass the Health Care PRICE Transparency into law. Six out of 10 voters (58%) want to see it in the next package. The support is even higher among Democrats (66%), blacks (66%), and Hispanics (60%).
- Two-thirds of voters in swing states would be more likely to vote for a candidate for the Senate if they knew they voted to include price transparency in the next package. Support is higher among blacks (76%), Democrats (75%), and Hispanics (74%).
