In contrast, the public's perspective is showing a new positive light. According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll, public support for health care reform had a modest uptick in September. The poll numbers reflect a small rise in the number of Americans who feel that addressing health care is more important than ever, those Americans who believe their families will be better off with health reform, and that the country would be better off.

More of the pubic prefers a bipartisan effort on health reform -- the current efforts are leaving Americans feeling most hopeful, although at least half those polled also feel anxious about reform and a third are angry. A majority of respondents have reported some type of struggle with health care, such as cost, and most support individual reform components to expand coverage, such as an individual mandate, an employer mandate, and expansion of state programs such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.


Overall, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs commented this week that President Obama believes that health care is in "better shape," and that as the Senate Finance Committee continues progress. "I think soon they'll finish their work, and each of the committees that has jurisdiction of this legislation will have worked through their issues."

Read all the details:

The White House Press Briefing may be accessed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Briefing-by-White-House-Press-Secretary-Robert-Gibbs/

Senator Grassley's statement may be accessed at: http://finance.senate.gov/press/Gpress/2009/prg092409j.pdf

Newt Gingrich's Op-Ed may be accessed at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204488304574425324084867640.html

The KFF poll may be accessed at: http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr092909pkg.cfm


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