Poll suggests voters in swing districts don’t want health bill

WASHINGTON -- A poll released Monday by a conservative women's group says voters in 35 key congressional districts oppose the health care plan and suggested that lawmakers who vote for it do so at their own risk.

Independent Women's Voice, which is against the health legislation in Congress, said its poll showed voters will not accept the "costs and consequences" of passing the bill.

The poll surveyed 1,200 voters across 35 districts being contested in this year's elections, including Nevada's 3rd Congressional District that is represented by Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat who has said she is undecided.

The polling firm could not say how many people in the Nevada district were polled, or whether there were enough people queried to draw statistical conclusions about that district.

But on a broad field, the poll appeared to underscore a depth of unhappiness with the legislation, after people were told of possible negative outcomes, such as increases in their premiums, cuts to Medicare Advantage, possible loss of workplace coverage, and new taxes on insurance companies and investment income.

"Many national polls have only asked about benefits provided by the plan without asking about the costs and consequences they entail," the group said. "That's like asking how many kids want ice cream at recess, without mentioning that their allowance for the year will be taken in exchange."

Titus spokesman Andrew Stoddard said Titus is paying little attention to the polls, as "a new poll comes out every day."

"Congresswoman Titus has been discussing health care reform with the people of District Three for nearly a year, and her vote will be based on her conversations with them during the six telephone town halls and 11 Congress on the Corners, and numerous roundtable discussions, not the latest poll of the day by a Washington, D.C. pollster," Stoddard said.

According to the poll:

■ 55 percent said they were less supportive of health care based on what they have seen or heard about it in the last week to 10 days.

■ 40 percent said Congress should "start from scratch with a bipartisan proposal," while 36 percent said the current legislation should be passed, or passed with changes to be made later.

■ 67 percent disagree the government should mandate health coverage.

■ 69 percent agreed health care "is distracting Congress from other more immediate priorities, like the economy and jobs.

■ 53 percent believe they would be "worse off" with the bill, while 19 percent said they would be better off and 21 percent saw no difference.

On a question of whether health reform should focus on making sure everyone has insurance, 53 percent agreed and 44 percent disagreed.

Another pollster, Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, said the poll results "seem in line" with health care surveys his firm has taken in Nevada and elsewhere.

Independent Women's Voice is a nonprofit that says it represents the views of "right of center" women.

The poll was conducted by the Polling Company Inc./Women Trend, a firm managed by Kellyanne Conway, a Republican strategist and former adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Vice President Dan Quayle.