[Ip-health] For IP Health Listserv Consideration

[Bailey Gilchrist]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
For IP Health Listserv Consideration

Survey Finds Overwhelming Majority of Americans Believe Special Interests H=
indering Health Care Reform<http://bit.ly/cpYqB>
78 percent of Americans see pharmaceutical industry deals as harmful<http:/=
/bit.ly/4mWGS>

Full poll results available here<http://bit.ly/4mWGS>

MEDIA CONTACT: Bailey Gilchrist
202-534-1720

Berkley, CA- Tuesday September 15, 2009 - The Greenlining Institute today r=
eacted to a survey conducted by the Lombardo Consulting Group which shows t=
hat Americans are losing confidence in the health care reform process.  The=
 national poll found that an overwhelming number of poll respondents believ=
e that "side deals" between Washington decision makers and the pharmaceutic=
al industry have "seriously compromised efforts to enact real reform of the=
 healthcare system."

The poll, conducted during the last week of August, showed that nearly 8 ou=
t of 10 registered voters, 78 percent, believe that the role pharmaceutical=
 companies and other special interest groups have played in the reform deba=
te thus far has seriously compromised the process and potential  outcomes o=
f the reform effort.

"In last week's address to Congress and the nation, President Obama made cl=
ear that real healthcare reform should not be at the mercy of special inter=
ests," said H=E9ctor Javier Preciado, Health Policy Director for The Greenl=
ining Institute. "It is critical that those in Washington work first and fo=
remost to ensure expanded access to affordable medicine and health care for=
 all without driving up costs or bowing to special interest groups. True re=
form cannot be accomplished if Washington is not on the side of the America=
n public."

The survey also revealed that the overwhelming majority of respondents, 63 =
percent, believe that taking control of the rising cost of healthcare in th=
e United States should be the most important goal of reform. Further, 54 pe=
rcent of respondents believe that reform should focus first on controlling =
costs for individual patients while 37 percent believe the focus should be =
on controlling the cost of government programs paid for by taxpayers.

Preciado concluded, in order to revive public confidence, Washington must t=
ake a stand for what Americans want out of reform. "With members of Congres=
s back in Washington to tackle healthcare reform, it is imperative that our=
 representatives not only understand what Americans are asking for but then=
 take the initiative to implement it."

The poll was conducted by the Lombardo Consulting Group, surveying 600 regi=
stered voters nationwide.

Click here<http://bit.ly/4mWGS> <http://www.greenlining.org/resources/pdfs/=
HealthCareReformNationalSurveyResults.pdf> to see the National Survey Resul=
ts.