One of the hotly contested issues in the debate about health care reform is whether or not there should be a new government health plan to compete with the plans offered by the insurance industry to employers and individuals. This idea is strongly supported by President Obama and most Democratic members of Congress but Republican members of Congress unanimously oppose it.

Other polls have shown that attitudes to this proposal vary depending on the language used to describe it. Supporters are now calling it a "public option." Opponents usually call it a "government-run" plan. A new Harris Poll tries to bridge this language gap by asking the public about the proposal of a new "public, or government-sponsored, health plan." This poll finds that a modest 52% to 30% majority supports such a plan, and that the arguments in favor of it tend to generate more support than those against it.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,276 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive® between July 9 and 13, 2009.

In addition to the 5-to-3 majority support of the plan, the survey tested the strengths of three arguments in favor of a public, or government plan and three against it. The three arguments in favor elicited the support of majorities between 68% and 55%:

- A 68% majority thought a public plan would be a valuable alternative to private insurance;

- A 63% majority thought that it would help to keep insurance costs down; and

- A 55% majority thought it would help patients to get better care.

Arguments against a public plan generated mixed reactions:

- A 55% majority agreed it would reduce the freedom of patients to choose the doctors and treatments they want, but

- A 54% majority disagreed that it would be "too much like socialism," and

- A 56% majority disagreed that it would drive insurance companies out of business.

So What?

Given that health care reform is being so hotly debated and is getting a great deal of media coverage, attitudes to this proposal for a public plan are likely to change. Furthermore, it is always possible that it may change, or even be dropped, as part of a compromise to achieve a bill that can be passed with a few Republican votes in Congress.

However, the 5-to-3 majority of the public in favor of a public plan suggests that it has the potential to help persuade some members of the public to support bills proposed by the Congress that include it.