Public_NN1 Opinion_NN1 and_CC Health_NN1 Reform_NN1 Earlier_RRR this_DD1 month_NNT1 ,_, President_NNB Barack_NP1 Obama_NP1 said_VVD that_CST an_AT1 "_" unprecedented_JJ consensus_NN1 has_VHZ come_VVN together_RL behind_II "_" health-care_NN1 reform_NN1 ._. 
As_RG recently_RR as_CSA June_NPM1 ,_, public_NN1 opinion_NN1 polls_NN2 supported_VVN such_DA a_AT1 proposition_NN1 ._. 
That_DD1 month_NNT1 a_AT1 CBS_NP1 News/New_FU York_NP1 Times_NNT2 poll_NN1 found_VVD that_CST 64%_NNU of_IO Americans_NN2 agreed_VVD that_CST the_AT federal_JJ government_NN1 should_VM guarantee_VVI health_NN1 insurance_NN1 for_IF all_DB ._. 
That_DD1 consensus_NN1 has_VHZ unraveled_JJ ._. 
According_II21 to_II22 the_AT September_NPM1 version_NN1 of_IO the_AT same_DA poll_NN1 ,_, support_VV0 for_IF federally_RR guaranteed_JJ universal_JJ coverage_NN1 had_VHD fallen_VVN to_II 51%_NNU ._. 
As_CSA Americans_NN2 learn_VV0 about_II the_AT trade-offs_NN2 health-care_NN1 reform_NN1 will_VM require_VVI ,_, their_APPGE enthusiasm_NN1 for_IF it_PPH1 wanes_VVZ ._. 
In_II August_NPM1 ,_, we_PPIS2 published_VVD a_AT1 paper_NN1 in_II the_AT policy_NN1 journal_NN1 Health_NN1 Affairs_NN2 that_CST demonstrated_VVD how_RGQ quickly_RR support_VV0 for_IF health-care_NN1 reform_NN1 drops_VVZ once_RR people_NN realize_VV0 how_RGQ much_RR it_PPH1 will_VM cost_VVI them_PPHO2 ._. 
Our_APPGE paper_NN1 was_VBDZ based_VVN on_II a_AT1 survey_NN1 that_CST asked_VVD 3,344_MC U.S._NP1 adults_NN2 how_RRQ much_RR they_PPHS2 would_VM be_VBI willing_JJ to_TO pay_VVI in_II increased_JJ taxes_NN2 to_TO subsidize_VVI health_NN1 insurance_NN1 for_IF low-_NN1 and_CC moderate-income_JJ Americans_NN2 ._. 
In_II the_AT survey_NN1 we_PPIS2 calculated_VVD the_AT likely_JJ costs_NN2 of_IO several_DA2 realistic_JJ health-care_NN1 reforms_NN2 and_CC asked_VVD each_DD1 respondent_NN1 his_APPGE or_CC her_APPGE family_NN1 income_NN1 ._. 
Then_RT ,_, we_PPIS2 calculated_VVD how_RGQ much_RR each_DD1 respondent_NN1 's_GE income_NN1 taxes_NN2 would_VM increase_VVI to_TO pay_VVI for_IF the_AT reforms_NN2 ._. 
We_PPIS2 did_VDD this_DD1 under_II the_AT assumption_NN1 that_CST everyone_PN1 's_GE taxes_NN2 would_VM increase_VVI by_II the_AT same_DA percentage_NN1 amount_NN1 ._. 
Only_RR 40.8%_FO of_IO Americans_NN2 said_VVD they_PPHS2 would_VM be_VBI somewhat_RR or_CC very_RG likely_JJ to_TO support_VVI a_AT1 policy_NN1 similar_JJ to_II those_DD2 being_VBG considered_VVN by_II Congress_NN1 --_NN1 a_AT1 subsidy_NN1 for_IF private_JJ insurance_NN1 that_CST would_VM reduce_VVI the_AT number_NN1 of_IO uninsured_JJ by_II one-half_MF ._. 
More_RGR modest_JJ proposals_NN2 (_( such_II21 as_II22 expanding_VVG Medicaid_NP1 )_) that_CST would_VM reduce_VVI the_AT number_NN1 of_IO uninsured_JJ by_II one-quarter_MF received_JJ slightly_RR greater_JJR support_NN1 ,_, but_CCB still_RR less_DAR than_CSN a_AT1 majority_NN1 ._. 
Others_NN2 have_VH0 found_VVN similar_JJ results_NN2 ._. 
For_REX21 example_REX22 ,_, a_AT1 Washington_NP1 Post/Kaiser_NN1 Family_NN1 Foundation/Harvard_FU University_NN1 survey_NN1 conducted_VVN in_II May_NPM1 2007_MC found_VVD that_CST 55%_NNU of_IO respondents_NN2 were_VBDR unwilling_JJ to_TO pay_VVI anything_PN1 more_DAR in_II insurance_NN1 premiums_NN2 or_CC taxes_NN2 to_TO increase_VVI the_AT number_NN1 of_IO Americans_NN2 who_PNQS have_VH0 health_NN1 insurance_NN1 ._. 
A_ZZ1 Fox_NP1 News/Opinion_NN1 Dynamics_NN poll_NN1 conducted_VVD last_MD month_NNT1 found_VVD that_CST only_RR 25%_NNU of_IO Americans_NN2 were_VBDR willing_JJ to_TO pay_VVI $500_NNU more_DAR per_II year_NNT1 insurance_NN1 premiums_NN2 for_IF universal_JJ coverage_NN1 --_NN1 far_RG less_DAR than_CSN even_RR the_AT most_RGT optimistic_JJ estimates_NN2 of_IO what_DDQ it_PPH1 would_VM cost_VVI ._. 
We_PPIS2 also_RR asked_VVD about_II people_NN 's_GE willingness_NN1 to_TO pay_VVI for_IF a_AT1 subsidy_NN1 that_CST would_VM be_VBI targeted_VVN to_II those_DD2 who_PNQS had_VHD a_AT1 chronic_JJ illness_NN1 or_CC persistently_RR high_JJ health_NN1 costs_NN2 ._. 
The_AT response_NN1 to_II this_DD1 question_NN1 was_VBDZ quite_RG different_JJ ._. 
Sixty-two_MC percent_NNU of_IO Americans_NN2 said_VVD they_PPHS2 would_VM be_VBI somewhat_RR or_CC very_RG likely_JJ to_TO support_VVI a_AT1 program_NN1 like_II this_DD1 ,_, after_II considering_VVG the_AT increase_NN1 in_II taxes_NN2 that_CST would_VM have_VHI to_TO be_VBI imposed_VVN on_II them_PPHO2 to_TO finance_VVI it_PPH1 ._. 
A_AT1 subsidy_NN1 for_IF the_AT chronically_RR ill_JJ even_RR attracted_VVN majority_NN1 support_NN1 among_II the_AT upper-income_JJ half_NN1 of_IO the_AT country_NN1 ._. 
We_PPIS2 found_VVD that_CST 53%_NNU of_IO respondents_NN2 with_IW incomes_NN2 of_IO $50,000_NNU or_CC more_RRR favored_VVD the_AT idea_NN1 even_CS21 though_CS22 they_PPHS2 would_VM pay_VVI the_AT bulk_NN1 of_IO its_APPGE cost_NN1 through_II our_APPGE progressive_JJ tax_NN1 system_NN1 ._. 
So_RR what_DDQ do_VD0 these_DD2 numbers_NN2 tell_VVI us_PPIO2 ?_? 
On_II the_AT one_MC1 hand_NN1 ,_, Americans_NN2 are_VBR willing_JJ to_TO pay_VVI higher_JJR taxes_NN2 to_TO help_VVI those_DD2 less_DAR fortunate_JJ than_CSN themselves_PPX2 --_JJ such_II21 as_II22 someone_PN1 with_IW a_AT1 chronic_JJ illness_NN1 ._. 
This_DD1 is_VBZ social_JJ insurance_NN1 in_II its_APPGE purest_JJT sense_NN1 ._. 
On_II the_AT other_JJ hand_NN1 ,_, Americans_NN2 '_GE willingness_NN1 to_TO pay_VVI for_IF health_NN1 reform_NN1 has_VHZ limits_NN2 ._. 
Our_APPGE results_NN2 show_VV0 that_CST ,_, for_IF a_AT1 majority_NN1 ,_, the_AT cost_NN1 of_IO the_AT policies_NN2 currently_RR under_II consideration_NN1 by_II Congress_NN1 exceeds_VVZ those_DD2 limits_NN2 ._. 
The_AT fact_NN1 that_CST Congress_NN1 is_VBZ seeking_VVG to_TO finance_VVI reform_NN1 ,_, at_RR21 least_RR22 in_RR21 part_RR22 ,_, by_II future_JJ Medicare_NP1 cuts_NN2 does_VDZ not_XX obviate_VVI this_DD1 finding_NN1 ._. 
First_MD ,_, the_AT savings_NN2 from_II these_DD2 cuts_NN2 are_VBR unlikely_JJ to_TO materialize_VVI ._. 
Congress_NN1 has_VHZ tried_VVN to_TO cut_VVI Medicare_NP1 in_II the_AT past_NN1 ,_, but_CCB failed_VVD ._. 
Second_MD ,_, even_CS21 if_CS22 those_DD2 cuts_NN2 materialize_VV0 there_EX is_VBZ no_AT evidence_NN1 that_CST indicates_VVZ Americans_NN2 would_VM prefer_VVI spending_VVG the_AT money_NN1 saved_VVN from_II those_DD2 cuts_NN2 on_II a_AT1 new_JJ health-care_NN1 program_NN1 instead_II21 of_II22 using_VVG it_PPH1 to_TO fund_VVI a_AT1 tax_NN1 cut_NN1 ._. 
As_II the_AT debate_NN1 over_II health-care_NN1 reform_NN1 continues_VVZ ,_, we_PPIS2 hope_VV0 Congress_NN1 and_CC the_AT president_NN1 will_VM consider_VVI the_AT public_NN1 's_GE reaction_NN1 to_II the_AT true_JJ cost_NN1 their_APPGE proposals_NN2 will_VM impose_VVI as_II31 well_II32 as_II33 the_AT benefits_NN2 that_CST they_PPHS2 will_VM create_VVI ._. 
