A Majority Worry About Higher Costs For Health Insurance

This chart was made from results of a recent Gallup Poll -- done between November 1st and 11th of a national sample of 1,037 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

Republicans were surprised that health care was a big issue in the last election, and tried to reassure voters at the last minute. It didn't work, and the damage Republicans did to health insurance turned out to be one of the major reasons voters ousted them from power by flipping 40 seats in the House of Representatives.

A large percentage of the public (about 61%) say they are worried about the rising costs of their health insurance (and afraid of higher deductibles with that insurance). And a significant percentage (42%) are so worried about it that they also worry about having to do without any health insurance at all.

Obamacare didn't fix all the problems with our broken health care system, and costs of insurance and medical care was one problem it didn't fix. But the Republicans, in trying to abolish Obamacare, just made things worse. Their doing away with mandatory participation is a primary reason why insurance premiums are skyrocketing. Now those same Republicans want to cut money for Medicare and Medicaid.

That's dumb, and it will just continue to hurt them. They need to join Democrats and fix the medical system -- controlling costs and covering more people with insurance. And they need to get rid of their mean-spirited belief that health care is a product. It's not. It's a right that should be shared by all citizens.