A recent US survey has found that access to healthcare, as well as the overall cost of healthcare, are the two main concerns of American citizens. The 2010 Health and Healthcare poll, conducted by the polling firm Gallup, also showed an increasing amount of concern over excessive Government involvement in the system.

The poll showed trends that were not evident in previous surveys. In earlier polls, Gallup had “included mentions of Government involvement in healthcare in the 'access' category, but as of this poll [the firm] established it as a separate issue and removed prior mentions of Government involvement from the 'access' trends”.

With regards to the political divide, the firm reported that there was an equal tendency for Republicans and Democrats to cite cost as a top issue of concern. The firm did note a greater tendency for Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents to cite access to healthcare as a concern, and a greater tendency for Republicans to mention Government involvement as concerning.

The Heritage Foundation’s Nina Owcharenko concluded that while Americans do want healthcare reform, they do not want the heavy, bureaucracy-driven reforms that characterise the current legislation. “The new law moves America’s healthcare system in the wrong direction, transferring vast powers to Washington bureaucrats who will control the dollars and decisions”.

“Real, sensible, bipartisan reform […] can’t be achieved until we repeal Obamacare and start over with a clean slate”, added Jeffrey H. Anderson of Health Care Studies at California’s Pacific Research Institute.