Poll: Americans Would Pay a Tax or Insurance Premium to Cover Addiction Treatment
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Americans are so keenly aware of alcohol and drug addiction problems that they are willing to pay a new sin tax or add $2 a month to their health insurance premiums to expand treatment, according to a new poll. "Majorities of all segments support a number of ways to pay for expanding treatment, including personally paying more for health insurance premiums," says a memo from Democratic pollster Celinda Lake's Lake Research Partners. "Driving their support is the belief that drug and alcohol addiction are serious problems, that addiction is a health condition that requires ongoing attention and support, and that treatment is an effective process," she adds.
Her poll was done for Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap, a program of the Open Society Institute, founded by liberal donor George Soros. According to the group, there are 23 million Americans addicted to drugs and alcohol, but only 1 in 10 gets treatment, in part because of the costs and the lack of insurance coverage. Lake's poll bluntly asked what Americans would do to fund the coverage, and the majority of people said they were willing to swallow the medicine. The key question was whether Americans would OK a $2 monthly health insurance premium, a tax of 25 cents on cigarettes, or a tax of 5 cents per drink of beer, wine, and liquor. Even Republicans supported paying up, she found. Some 80 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Republicans, and 63 percent of independents backed the $2 insurance premium hike. On the alcohol tax, 75 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 67 percent of independents said yes. And 66 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents, and 59 percent of Republicans would approve a tobacco tax.
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Tags: healthcare | polls
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Reader Comments
Excuses, The easy way out!
I Drank heavily for two years And took stalk of my life and have never got drunk again, People who get drunk have issues and do not mind losing physical control since they have no mental control.
My sister says I have a nonaddictive personality yet I stayed drunk for two years. I stopped because I was not enjoying life and I believe suicide is a cowards way out. Leaving me no choice not to drink heavily. I drink a beer or two a day and have no desire to drink any more than that,
Oh another thing I do not believe in is all these excuses people make and what is even worse are the excuses made for addicts so they may remain sick believing they have no way out because you did not give them a way out.
Look around! There is a lot of money in helping the poor if you know how to play the system, addicts are also a source for a big payday for those who want to take advantage of the weak. I have no respect for those who live off the weak and will give them just enough drugs to keep them hooked so they can keep scamming the tax payers.
Fortunately I do not live in the city anymore and Have not seen a doctor for over four or five years and accept for a few headaches have never felt more healthy. I have been diagnosed with epilepsy and I take no drugs yet My epilepsy is under control. The last seizer I had was the last hospital I stayed in. and I am supposed to trust them snake oil salesmen?.
Our problems are so the so called medical industry can get rich, and until people sober up and get off the drugs America will not get healthy just dependent on the health industry.
Look how many lives they have destroyed and yet we need there snake oil so we keep paying there “insurance”. Not me I am to healthy and I am going to stay that way, You can have your drugs and make believe world.
Don D. Brock
well... if we're going this route
then perhaps those who practice "risky sex" should pay a fee
for STD/HIV treatments. After all, isn't HIV an incredibly
expensive disease to treat? And cannot it be avoided in most
situations, by practicing safe sex?
Ah yes... we can't do that, as it might impact a "special
interest group", more so than the general population!
Why?
Why should we pay for people who CHOOSE to do these types of things?
They sure didn't ask me.
If you choose to smoke, drink, not exercise and/or do drugs, you don't deserve any help from me.
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