[...] The poll finds that 56 percent of voters surveyed initially support "Medicare for All" and 42 percent oppose it, for a net favorability rating of +14 percent. When arguments in favor of Medicare for All are presented—it will guarantee coverage to all Americans and reduce out-of-pocket costs—net favorability rises to +45 percent. (KFF does not provide the raw numbers here.) Support reportedly falls dramatically when people hear arguments against the program. The problem, however, is in the presentation.
The pros, as presented, are understated. Medicare for All would not "reduce" out-of-pocket costs. It would
eliminate them for all medical interventions, including hospitalization, surgery, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and doctor visits. The use of "reduce" suggests that any out-of-pocket savings would be marginal at best, which is not true.
The KFF
survey told respondents that Medicare for All would "require most Americans to pay more in taxes." It did tell them that health insurance premiums would be eliminated, but failed to explain that
the vast majority of families would pay considerably less in taxes than they currently pay in premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Many working Americans with employer-based insurance are unaware of how much is deducted from their paychecks in premiums, which also dilutes the impact of this question.
The survey told respondents that Medicare for All would "eliminate private health insurance companies," but it did not tell them why: these corporations add to the overall cost of health care without providing anything of value.
It gets worse. The pollsters then presented the statement that Medicare for All will "threaten the current Medicare program." While this is a common Republican line of attack, it is an openly deceptive one.
Medicare for All proposals would expand and improve coverage for seniors and the disabled under the current program, by expanding the scope of services rendered and eliminating out-of-pocket costs in most cases. [...]
