2006 Health Confidence Survey: Dissatisfaction with Health Care System Doubles Since 1998

This paper presents the findings from the ninth annual Health Confidence Survey (HCS), a survey that examines a broad spectrum of health care issues, including Americans' satisfaction with health care today, their confidence in the future of the health care system and the Medicare program, and their attitudes toward health care reform. The survey was conducted within the United States between May 16 and June 3, 2006, through 23-minute telephone interviews with 1,000 individuals ages 21 and older. Random digit dialing was used to obtain a representative cross section of the U.S. population. Interview quotas were established by sex of respondent and employment status, and the data were weighted by gender, age, education, and employment to reflect the actual proportions in the population. The HCS is co-sponsored by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc., a Washington, DC-based market research firm. The 2006 HCS data collection was funded by grants from 10 private organizations.