New Yorkers Embrace Reform, but Wary of Plan

By Rachel Ward

Rochester, NY – A new poll out from the Siena Research Institute shows that many New Yorkers want more details about the president's health care reform plan before taking a position on it.

But when asked about the need for reform, the result is unequivocal: 83 percent of New Yorkers feel reform should be a top priority, and about three quarters say providing health care for all is a moral issue.

Dr. Don Levy is the director of the Siena Research Institute.

"It's fascinating that with all those things that we seem to agree about ... that there is disagreement on this president's plan as far as people understand it. Over half of New Yorkers, 53 percent, say that they agree that the president's plan for health care reform is a risky proposal."

Levy says the Obama administration should focus on convincing voters that any plan it puts forward is cost effective, and affordable.

The survey found that 8 in 10 New Yorkers say they're closing following the debate about health care reform, but are split nearly evenly on whether or not the nation can afford reform now.

A slim majority of all New Yorkers disagreed with the statement that that the president's reforms were a step away from democracy toward socialism, but 64 percent of Republicans agreed with that statement.

And more than three-quarters of respondents felt that it should be illegal to deny health insurance coverage based on a preexisting condition.

The poll, taken last week, queried 792 registered New York voters.