Illinois Covered: Results From a Statewide Survey of Illinois Voters

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Illinois CoveredResults From a Statewide Survey
of Illinois Voters

• Celinda Lake
• President
• Lake Research Partners
• July 18, 2007

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Strategic Summary

• Illinois Covered is one of the strongest health
  care plans we have tested in any state.
• Support for the plan is bipartisan and in every
  region and every demographic group.
• Voters are more supportive of legislators who
  lead on the issue.

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Health care is the top economic concern for
Illinois voters.
Thinking specifically about the economy, what are
you personally worried about the most?
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Health care is the top economic concern across
party lines.
Thinking specifically about the economy, what are
you personally worried about the most?
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Illinoisans rate health care reform as the most
important issue facing the legislature during the
extended session.
As you may know, Illinois state legislators are
currently in an extended session considering a
number of proposals. Now Im going to read you a
set of issues they could address. For each one I
read, please rate how important it is to you for
the legislature to take action on that issue on a
scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means it is an
extremely important issue and 0 means it is not
at all important. If you are not sure, please
say so.
Important 85 80 65
53
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Democrats, Republicans, and Independents agree
that health care is the most important issue
during the extended session.
As you may know, Illinois state legislators are
currently in an extended session considering a
number of proposals. Now Im going to read you a
set of issues they could address. For each one I
read, please rate how important it is to you for
the legislature to take action on that issue on a
scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means it is an
extremely important issue and 0 means it is not
at all important. If you are not sure, please
say so.
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The reform is supported by a 3 to 1 margin even
when voters hear exactly how it will be paid for,
and there is real intensity.
Would you favor or oppose a proposal for health
care reform in Illinois that creates a choice of
new, affordable, comprehensive health insurance
plans that will be available to small businesses
and individuals who do not have job based health
benefits. The reform is paid for by an increase
in gaming taxes, a tax on employers who dont
offer adequate health care, and a sliding scale
(premium/fee) based on income?
78
Support remains strong among every
demographic group.
15
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Republicans, Democrats, and Independents support
Illinois Covered even after hearing about the
funding mechanisms.
Would you favor or oppose a proposal for health
care reform in Illinois that creates a choice of
new, affordable, comprehensive health insurance
plans that will be available to small businesses
and individuals who do not have job based health
benefits. The reform is paid for by an increase
in gaming taxes, a tax on employers who dont
offer adequate health care, and a sliding scale
(premium/fee) based on income?
Darker colors indicate intensity
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Bulleted Summary of Illinois Covered

• Create new, affordable, comprehensive health
  insurance plans that will be available to small
  businesses and individuals without job based
  health benefits, with premiums on a sliding scale
  based on income.
• Provide rebates to help pay insurance premiums
  for families with incomes under 80,000 a year,
  and allow families making over 80,000 the option
  to buy in to the new affordable health plans.
• Reduce administrative overhead by requiring all
  insurance companies to use a simplified common
  electronic claims form.
• Eliminate co-pays and deductibles for medically
  prescribed treatments for chronic diseases.

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After hearing more details, voters maintain
support for the proposal at a better than 3 to 1
ratio.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
79
Support remains strong among every
demographic group.
13
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Both those who have insurance coverage for
everyone in their household (82) and those who
do not (13) overwhelmingly favor Illinois
Covered.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
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Support is high and strong in every region of the
state.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
13
Illinoisans of all parties support Illinois
Covered after hearing details of the plan.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
Darker colors indicate intensity
UNDECIDED
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A clear majority of voters would be more likely
to re-elect their legislators if they supported
Illinois Covered.
Would you be more or less likely to vote to
re-elect your legislator if they supported this
proposed health care reform, or would it not make
a difference?
Total 55 10
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Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all want
their legislators to support this reform.
Would you be more or less likely to vote to
re-elect your legislator if they supported this
proposed health care reform, or would it not make
a difference?
Total 55 10
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Voters in all regions of the state want their
legislators to support Illinois Covered.
Would you be more or less likely to vote to
re-elect your legislator if they supported this
proposed health care reform, or would it not make
a difference?
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A clear majority of voters would be more likely
to re-elect their legislators if they led the
fight for Illinois Covered.
Would you be more or less likely to vote to
re-elect your legislator if they took a leading
role in advocating for this proposed health care
reform, or would it not make a difference?
Total 57 9
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We tested a variety of positive messages and
negative attacks.

• Summary of tested positive messages
• Investment now leads to future savings
• Plan saves on emergency room costs
• Our values demand affordable coverage for all
• Coverage for the uninsured
• Will result in increased wages and better economy
• Illinois will be a model
• Government will act as a watchdog on prices

• Summary of tested negative messages
• 12 billion tax increase
• Many higher funding priorities
• Health care is a national issue
• Attracts illegal immigrants
• Proposal is a complicated bureaucratic nightmare

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After batteries of positive messages and negative
attacks, support remains greater than 3 to 1.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
75
Support remains strong among every
demographic group after messages.
17
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Support remains strong across all parties.
Based on the description you just heard, do you
favor or oppose this proposal, or are you
undecided?
Darker colors indicate intensity
UNDECIDED
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The demographic breakdown of likely voters in
Illinois

• Union
• Union Households 25
• Non-union Households 74
• Race
• White 74
• African American 10
• Hispanic 9
• Asian 2
• Region
• Chicago 20
• Cook Suburban 19
• Collar Counties 24
• North 11
• Central 14
• South 12

• Gender
• Men 48
• Women 52
• Age
• Under 50 43
• 50 and over 54
• Party ID
• Democrat 45
• Independent 17
• Republican 33
• Education
• Non-college grad 56
• College grad 42

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Methodology

• Lake Research Partners designed and administered
  this survey, which was conducted by phone using
  professional interviewers. The survey reached a
  total of 600 likely general election voters in
  Illinois. The survey was conducted June 24-28,
  2007.
• Telephone numbers for the sample were generated
  by random digit dialing (RDD) in the state of
  Illinois. The data were weighted by age,
  education, race, and party identification.
• In interpreting survey results, all sample
  surveys are subject to possible sampling error.
  The size of the sampling error depends upon both
  the total number of respondents in the survey and
  the percentage distribution of responses to a
  particular question. The margin of error for this
  sample is /- 4.0 .