Poll: Public Opposes Medicare Cuts

According to a new national poll, the majority of Americans are against cutting Medicare spending to reduce the national deficit. The poll was conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The poll found that:

• Two-thirds of respondents favor quick governmental action to reduce the deficit, but more than 70 percent felt this could be done without drastic Medicare cuts.
• 85 percent of respondents opposed across-the-board Medicare premium increases. 
• 85 percent of respondents said they would support legislation to push drug companies to lower the costs of medications for seniors, which would save the Medicare program money. 
• 60 percent of respondents felt the Medicare program is working well (80 percent of senior respondents felt this way). 
• Just over half of respondents opposed raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. 
• Just over half of respondents felt that their states should expand Medicare under an optional provision of the Affordable Care Act. 

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