Poll Finds Preference For Medicare Over Tax Cuts Given A Choice, Respondents Would Rather See Smaller Reductions In Health Plan

There’s something Americans like even more than tax cuts: Medicare.

An Associated Press poll finds widespread agreement among all age groups that protecting the health insurance program for the elderly is preferable to large tax cuts.

Seventy-three percent would sacrifice some tax relief for smaller reductions in Medicare. Eighteen percent prefer a larger tax cut with larger reductions in Medicare.

Cutting taxes and keeping the growth of Medicare in check are two of the most difficult issues facing President Clinton and the Republicans who control Congress as they take up competing plans to balance the budget.

Neither party has rallied a majority of the public, according to the poll taken June 16-20. More people place their trust in the Republicans than in Clinton to make the hard choices, 37 percent to 32 percent. Others are not sure, and 24 percent say, unprompted, that they trust neither party more.

The Republicans say they can balance the budget in seven years by holding down domestic spending, including reducing the growth of Medicare by up to $286 billion. Clinton wants to save $127 billion over seven years in Medicare, and take 10 years to balance the budget.

In the poll, 47 percent favor Clinton’s timetable, and 39 percent support the seven-year GOP plan.

The poll involved a random sample of 1,005 adults interviewed by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa., part of AUS Consultants. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Clinton says the Republican plan is so drastic it would undermine the economy. Republicans say the economy will do better if investors get tax relief and see that politicians are serious about balancing the budget.

Republicans are talking about tax cuts of up to $245 billion over seven years, broader and deeper than the $96 billion in tax cuts in Clinton’s plan.

Almost half those polled, 47 percent, say GOP proposals to cut spending go too far, a slight increase from a poll that asked the same question in April. Thirty-two percent think the Republicans don’t go far enough, down from 51 percent in April.

Clinton and Republican leaders have implied that Medicare spending could be held down by forcing savings onto health care providers. Clinton says his plan would not reduce benefits to recipients, but the public is skeptical. Three-fourths think people on Medicare will absorb most of the costs. Only 17 percent think hospitals and doctors will.