With Congress considering various health care reform proposals, new focus group research released today finds that action on this issue is a major priority for women, who are convinced that health care plans will not implement needed reforms unless government acts. DYG, Inc. is a national social and market research company chaired by Daniel Yankelovich.
Women define the problem as money' driving the system.
They are angry with this and fear its effect on quality care. Women have no confidence that insurers will improve health care on their own or as a result of consumer pressure, the research found. While they do not want government-run national health insurance, women do want government to set basic standards to protect patients. Women want doctors not insurers to have final say in decisions about care, including how long a patient stays in the hospital, which prescription drugs are best, and when referrals to specialists are appropriate. They want to be treated with respect.