Once again the findings from our Iowa and Washington surveys are upheld in another poll, this time by the Harvard School of Public Health and Harris Interactive.  In our surveys, it is the Independents who make a critical difference on key elements of health care reform. The Harvard Study, it turns out finds that they are key to how the health care system is perceived. 

I don't know if the candidates read health care polls or not. If they do, they should be worried.  Why? Because none of their plans, as they are presently constituted, will gain the support of the Independents or the moderates of the other party, which both parties will need when it comes to health care reform. 

None of them address payment reform or complementary and alternative medicine.  You cannot get to fundamental reform without addressing provider payment.

Returning to the issue of Independents; they are critical to both parties if any of the party platforms are to succeed.  The trouble is--how do we know what the Independents want?  They don't have conventions and platforms.

The challenge facing both parties will be appealing to that group, which can range from 30 to 40% of the voters.  The other challenge is that the core voters in the Democratic and Republican Parties live with very different world views and literally do not see each other's world views.  Which is why we cannot leave health care to the parties and need to have a "Voters' Health Care Platform."

Cheers and more later.  Kathleen