Press Release Details

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- A majority of Americans support a "public option" in healthcare reform legislation, but most lack confidence that the cost, quality, value or accessibility of medical care will improve in the next year, according to a survey released today by Thomson Reuters.

Sixty percent of survey respondents said they believe a public option should be included in final healthcare reform legislation. Only about one in five, however, believes the cost, quality or value of care will improve in the next 12 months. Twenty-three percent said they expect access to care to improve.

The results are from a telephone survey of 2,999 households conducted from November 9-17 -- a segment of the Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey, the largest and longest-running survey of its kind. Each year, PULSE polls more than 100,000 U.S. households about healthcare behaviors, attitudes and utilization.

Here are the key findings:

    --  18 percent of survey respondents said they expect to spend less on
        healthcare a year from now.
    --  21 percent believe the quality of care will improve in the next 12
        months.
    --  18 percent believe the value of care delivered will be better in a year.
    --  23 percent believe it will be easier for people to receive the care they
        need a year from now.
    --  60 percent of Americans believe a public option should be included in
        final healthcare legislation. There are sharp divisions, however, along
        party lines: 86 percent of Democrats support the public option versus 57
        percent of Independents and 33 percent of Republicans.

The survey is nationally representative and the margin of error is 1.8 percent.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TRI). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

CONTACT
David Wilkins
734 913 3397
David.wilkins@thomsonreuters.com

SOURCE Thomson Reuters

David Wilkins of Thomson Reuters Healthcare, +1-734-913-3397, David.wilkins@thomsonreuters.com