New group says its online survey finds 2/3 of Kentucky adults favor a national health plan, citing costs as their main reason

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Two-thirds of Kentucky adults favor a government health plan that would provide health insurance for everyone, according to an online survey by the Asclepius Initiative, a new Kentucky-based health-care advocacy group. Asclepius (Uh·sklee·pee·uhs) was the Greek god of medicine and healing.

Graph from Asclepius Initiative survey report; click on it to enlarge.

The Asclepius Initiative says 67% of the respondents to the survey said they "strongly favor" or "somewhat favor" a national government health plan, 23% of them either "somewhat oppose" or "strongly oppose" it, and 10% said they did not have a strong opinion about it.  

“The results of this survey clearly indicate there is a desire for systemic change in the current healthcare system,” said Dr. Susan Bornstein of Louisville, founder and CEO of Asclepius, a said in a news release.

Three-fourths of those surveyed feel health care is a basic human right, while 11% disagreed with this premise and 14% were neutral.

The survey, conducted online via Qualtrics software between April and May, asked 1,000 Kentucky adults about their attitudes and beliefs about the U.S. health-care delivery system and their willingness to entertain alternative financing models. The survey sample was matched to demographics: gender, race/ethnicity, urban/rural and insurance status (uninsured, insured through employer, Medicaid, Medicare, non-group).

Of those who said they supported a national health plan, the main reason was cost, with 61% of those respondents saying it would make health care more affordable and 39% of them saying it would not. 

Asked if they supported the idea because having everyone on the same plan would be more efficient for patients and providers, about half said it would and half said it would not. 

Only a fourth of national-plan supporters said it would make getting care less complicated, with three-fourths saying it would not. And only 35% said it would increase the quality of care, while 65% said it would not. 

Among those who said they oppose a national plan, the top three reasons were that they do not believe the government should run it (75%), that it would be too expensive (53%) and it would increase health-care costs worse (54%). Only 38% of this group thought a national plan would limit competition, and 34% worried that they would not be able to see their doctors. 

The survey also found that four in 10 Kentucky adults said they would make lifestyle changes if they did not have to worry about health coverage, including things like going back to school (15%), changing their job or starting a new career (20%), retiring (7%) or leaving a domestic situation (6%). 

Graph from Asclepius Initiative survey report; click on it to enlarge.

Medical costs also affect whether a person does the things necessary to take care of themselves, like going to the doctor or taking their medications. 

The survey found that as a result of medical costs: 59% of Kentuckians said they had avoided going to the doctor; 53% said they had skipped or stopped follow-up care; 43% said they skipped or stopped medication; 31% were unable to purchase food; and 10% declared bankruptcy.

Grouped by type of insurance, 62% of those on commercial plans said they had skipped or stopped medical care or medications due to cost, while 76% on Medicaid and 61% on Medicare said they had.

And when it came to skipping or stopping medical care or medications due to cost, more Kentuckians who lived in rural areas said they had (71%) compared to those who lived in metropolitan areas (61%). 

“This survey shows that problems exist among both urban and rural residents that prevent them from receiving basic ongoing health care,” said Dr. Kevin Pearce, a family physician and and Asclepius Initiative board member. “Providing proper care early can protect people from enormous medical bills and reduce the risk of suffering or disability from serious illness.”

The survey found that 25% of respondents spent more than $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs for health care in 2021 and 42% spent over $500. 

Bornstein said, “What this survey demonstrates is clear. We must start moving now toward a better way of taking care of all Americans. The Asclepius Initiative will be a driving force to encourage changes which make health care accessible for everyone.”