US | health care reform Poll Reveals Broad Support for Government Health Care Results suggest partisan divide By Amelia Atlas Posted Jun 21, 2009 3:55 AM CDT Copied A stack of documents comprising the health care reform bill and its amendments are seen at the seat of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., June 17, 2009, before a markup hearing of the Senate Health Committee. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) Seventy-two percent of Americans support a government-backed health care plan that would compete with private insurance providers, a New York Times/CBS poll reveals. A majority of Americans also believe the government would keep costs down more effectively than private insurers, and 64% think the government should guarantee its citizens health coverage—a percentage that has remained stable for many years. Opinions on the issue remain heavily partisan: 61% of Republicans believe health care is not the government's responsibility, and more Republicans are concerned about the government's ability to control costs. Personal cost was also a factor among all respondents: 57% were okay with a tax hike to underwrite universal coverage, but when faced with an actual price tag of $500 more per year, that number dropped to 43%. Read These Next The Bezos-Sanchez wedding: guest list, cost, the dress, and more. This is why your cat loves sleeping on its left side. Cops nab 9th fugitive in New Orleans, with 'one more to go.' Hall of Famer Dave Parker dies Report an error