Polls on Universal Health Care

Someone just dropped me a note asking where I'd picked up the information that Americans are changing in their former opposition to a plan for universal health care. What I cited was from Pew Research, tackled in depth at Tapped, but here, from Julie Saltman, is the best graphical representation I've seen by political demographic:

Ten years ago, when Hilary put forth her plan, there was massive opposition. But health costs - and access to insurance - has changed mightily in the intervening decade. Nationally, nearly two in every 10 Americans of any age go without any coverage. Vermont, one of the states with the highest coverage overall, has quickly slipped from less than 5% without coverage to 1 in every 10 without it. That, I believe, is the catalyst for change that is showing up in polls like Pew's.

Note especially that except among enterprisers (read the top of the food chain in corporate America), the majority of Republicans - once the voices of opposition - widely support government health care.

I'm not sure I want the feds administering health care for all. But I am in very strong support of a plan, administered by some entity, that would allow universal access with a plan for allowing everyone to buy into the coverage at a much lower rate than many of us pay on a per-person, per-family, or per company basis.

Think about the return of polio as one example. If you've got 40% of Americans uncovered by some health care access, you're looking at something that, once it makes it back into the U.S., could become a much bigger problem because so many will not be immunized or properly cared for to avoid contracting it.