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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993                   TAG: 9303200031
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

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CHOICE OF DOCTORS FAVORED

Two-thirds of Americans think a national health program should allow people to choose their own doctors, but just as many are willing to accept some restrictions to hold down costs, an Associated Press poll found.

In a follow-up question, only 30 percent backed a restriction that could result from the Clinton administration's emerging heath reforms - plans that would pay only for doctors on the insurance organization's approved list. Sixty-five percent said that a program to extend health coverage to all Americans should let people choose their own doctors. The remaining 5 percent were not sure.

Limiting doctor choice was especially unpopular among rural residents, women, low-income people and those over 65.

Uwe Reinhardt, a health-care economist at Princeton University, said the poll indicates President Clinton could sell the American people on giving up some doctor choice. But even a presidential teach-in won't work if the people perceive the plan as one in which the lower middle class and the poor get a bare bones package and the rich have more options, he said.

The national poll included 1,008 adults selected at random and interviewed by ICR Survey Research Group, part of AUS Consultants, on March 12-16. The results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Past polls have shown Americans overwhelmingly consider cost to be the biggest problem in health care. Desire to have the government do something has translated into majority support for national health insurance even though polls show widespread doubt that the government could manage health insurance better than private industry.

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