Public opinion is sometimes puzzling. Several polls have found strong public support for many of the proposals for health care reform contained in one or both of the bills passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives even among those who are opposed to the bills. What is actually in proposed legislation can be quite different from what people think is in it.

A new Harris Poll finds that opposition to the president’s health reform proposals continued to increase, up from 41% in November to 45% in December and to 49% of all adults in late January (but just before the State of the Union address). This latest poll finds a 49% to 43% plurality of adults who are opposed. However, many elements of the bills are very popular.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,576 adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

Analysis by education

There is a strong correlation between support for the president’s proposals and education. Majorities of those with no college education (by 51% to 36%) and of those with only some college education but no degree (by 51% to 43%) oppose the president’s reform. College graduates are split (49% supporting and 46% opposing). Those with post graduate degrees strongly support the proposals by 61% to 37%.

Other interesting findings in this poll

- The polarization of political opinion is still very strong, with 85% of Republicans but only 16% of Democrats opposed to the president’s proposals.

- A decisive 56% to 37% majority of Independents now oppose the president’s reforms.

- Very similar pluralities oppose both the Senate and House bills (by 47% to 29% and 44% to 32%) with about a quarter of all adults who are not sure.

Another set of questions asked people about nine elements of one or both congressional bills, with majorities of the public favoring eight of the nine proposals.

Large majorities of the public are in favor of:

- Making costs and quality more transparent (by 87% to 5%);

- Simplifying and standardizing administration (by 76% to 14%);

- Testing new way to reimburse doctors and hospitals (by 75% to 14%);

- Creating an insurance exchange (by 73% to 16%);

- Preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining coverage (by 67% to 24%); and

- Allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 25 or 26 (by 65% to 26%).

Smaller but clear majorities also favor:

- Expanding Medicaid coverage to cover more low income families (by 59% to 31%); and

- A “public option” as a choice for people without insurance (by 54% to 36%).

However, most people, by a substantial 67% to 25%, are opposed to an individual mandate requiring everyone to have insurance.

It should be noted, however, that many people do not know very much about what is, and is not, in the two bills. In many cases therefore, this question is measuring the public’s reactions to the proposals as they are described and not necessarily an opinion that they held before they were surveyed.