Healthcare edges up on poll's list of problems

By Will Lester
Associated Press

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Top worries Respondents in the AP-Ipsos poll were asked in an open-ended question to identify the most important problems facing the United States today. People were allowed to name more than one top problem, so results total more than 100 percent. Terrorism, 21 percent. Healthcare costs, 19 percent. Economy, 18 percent (33 percent named the economy and other economy-related issues). Unemployment, 14 percent. Education, 6 percent (9 percent named education and related issues). Iraq, 5 percent (13 percent mentioned Iraq and wars in general). Immigration, 5 percent. Poverty, hunger, homelessness, 5 percent. The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 adults was taken Jan. 5 to 7 and has a margin error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Concerns about the overall economy have dropped during the past year, mostly in the last months of the year, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs. Unemployment has edged up slightly as one of the nation's most important problems over the past year.

As domestic concerns shift, worries about terrorism continue to loom large, as they have for more than two years, the poll found.

The poll offers a glimpse of Americans' leading concerns at a time when Democrats are starting to choose a presidential nominee and President Bush will be spelling out his election-year agenda in the State of the Union address today.

Healthcare costs were mentioned by 19 percent in the poll, up from 11 percent a year ago and 5 percent two years ago. Joblessness was mentioned by 14 percent, up from 9 percent a year ago.

Twice as many women (26 percent) as men (13 percent) cited healthcare costs as a top problem.

Diana Bauer, a food-service director in Fresno, Calif., said she's convinced doctors sometimes "demand too much because they know insurance companies will pay it."

Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans to say healthcare was one of the most important problems. Minorities were twice as likely as whites to say unemployment was a major concern.

When asked an open-ended question, poll respondents must offer an answer that comes to mind, rather than choose from a list of options given to them. They were allowed to offer more than one top problem in their answer.

The war in Iraq, a dominant issue in campaign debate this year, was mentioned by 5 percent as one of the most important problems.

"I think the major problem is that I'm not sure we have a real exit strategy for the situation in Iraq," said David Granger, a 44-year-old public relations worker from Equality, Ala., who said he's less worried about the economy than he was.

Improving signs from the economy have lessened worries that it is one of the most important problems. A year ago, 36 percent identified the economy as a top problem, double the 18 percent who gave that answer in the new poll.

Concerns about other issues affecting people's economic security have been growing.

Over the past year, Americans' feelings about their economic welfare have been boosted by a third round of tax cuts during the summer, low interest rates that have spurred record home sales and an improving stock market.

When asked about the most important problems facing the United States, 21 percent cited terrorism as a top concern — about the same as each quarter in the past year.

When the poll was taken in early January, the nation was still under a heightened terrorism alert.

Nearly one-third called terrorism a top problem in January 2002.