The $8 trillion question: Health reform?

At first glance, the response might appear to be somewhat at odds with other national news polls. Indeed, according to a national Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll conducted Aug. 7 to 12 among 1,208 adults, 43% have an unfavorable view of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.


For the full report, click here.

It’s important to understand that AccentHealth patient-panelists are not your average consumer. They are high users of health care, filling more than 31 scripts per year, versus the average consumer who fills about 19 per year; they visit the pharmacy almost 18 times a year, versus just shy of 11 for the average customer. You could argue they have a bit more skin in the game. 


So, maybe that’s why fully 65% of AccentHealth panelists told DSN they support the Affordable Care Act. It’s important not to try to politicize their responses — neither DSN nor AccentHealth asked any questions relating to either candidate, how they intended to vote in November or any other issue related to the elections. That said, this month’s Patient Views examines what Accent-Health panelists really think about health reform: what supporters like and what detractors hate. 


Patient Views is a new, exclusive consumer insights feature in DSN magazine, as well as the daily e-newsletter DSN A.M. If you could ask 4,000 patients anything at all, what would it be? Send your questions to [email protected].