Measuring, influencing public opinion on health care

There are two interesting developments today in the health care debate as top Senate Democrat Harry Reid tries to get his ducks in a row to start floor debate this week.

First, the Washington Post reports that the US Chamber of Commerce, a leading business group that is trying to build support against the Democratic bills, is soliciting money for a study that could be used to cast the legislation as a threat to the nation's economy. In an e-mail obtained by the Post, the Chamber's senior health policy manager proposes spending $50,000 to hire a "respected economist" to study the bill.

Also, a new poll released by the Associated Press found Americans split almost right down the middle about the health care bill and worried about the fine print.

According to the survey, 43 percent of respondents oppose the health care bill being debated by Congress, while 41 percent support it, and 15 percent remain neutral or undecided.

The poll, conducted by Stanford University with the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found broad support for President Obama's goals, but concerns about the details to reach those goals. For example, while Americans support a ban on insurers denying coverage because of pre-existing medical problems, when told that such a prohibition would probably increase costs for many, 43 percent said they would still support the ban, but 31 percent said they would oppose it.