Doctors say there is not a single healthcare category where things will improve
BOSTON, MA May 17, 2017—The majority of U.S. doctors disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, with the lowest marks centering on his health care policy, according to a new survey from InCrowd.
The survey, from a pioneer of real-time market intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries, polled physicians across the country and found just 28% approved of President Trump’s job performance to date while 56% disapproved. Just over a quarter of those surveyed (28%) approve of the new American Health Care Act, compared to more than half (54%) who approve of the Affordable Care Act implemented under former President Barack Obama.
When it comes to challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system under the Trump administration, there was not a single category in which doctors expect things to improve. Of the 1,003 doctors surveyed April 30 and May 1, almost two-thirds (63%) expect the cost of premiums to rise, 65% think the reimbursement rates for physicians and health networks will get worse, 42% think the quality of healthcare will go down, and 59% believe the number of uninsured patients will increase and that the shortage of healthcare professionals will only get worse.
“Politics aside, a strict look at the data tells us most doctors are not pleased with the policies being debated as part of the AHCA,” said Philip Moyer, Senior Director of Crowd Operations. “The fact that there is not a single healthcare category where doctors feel optimistic goes to show the complexity of the healthcare system overall. A lot of issues in healthcare don’t have an easy fix, regardless of who is in the White House.
“InCrowd believes it’s vital to quickly and efficiently gauge how doctors view the latest healthcare policy developments, since they will be impacted as much as patients.”
Two-thirds of the nation’s doctors also believe all Essential Health Benefits required by the ACA should remain mandatory.
Other notable findings from the InCrowd physician survey include:
- 42% believe quality of patient care will get worse
- 51% say the media focuses on irrelevant healthcare issues
- 56% disapprove of Trump’s education policies
- 58% disapprove of Trump’s immigration policies
- 41% approve of how Trump is handling the economy
- 65% oppose defunding Planned Parenthood
- 58% oppose exemptions that allow employers to not cover birth control costs
Please reach out if you would like to speak with Philip Moyer or you’d like to see the full survey results/have any questions about the data.