Thomson Reuters - NPR Health Poll Finds Three-Quarters of Americans Support Government Insurance Subsidies for Birth Control Pills

Thomson Reuters and NPR Unveil New Monthly Healthcare Poll Series

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Jun 10, 2011, 06:00 ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and WASHINGTON, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American consumers are broadly in favor of oral contraceptive coverage by both private and government-subsidized health insurance plans, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

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The poll, which addresses public attitudes toward birth control pills, was developed by Thomson Reuters and NPR as part of a new monthly series designed to gauge attitudes and opinions on a wide range of healthcare issues. Poll results are reported by NPR's Scott Hensley on the health blog Shots and on air.

The poll finds that 77 percent of respondents believe private insurance should cover most or all cost of oral contraceptives, and 74 percent believe government-subsidized insurance plans should cover birth control pills.

Additionally, 78 percent said they believe the federal government should subsidize birth control and other family planning services, excluding abortion, at government-funded clinics for low-income women. Complete survey results are available here: http://www.factsforhealthcare.com/pressroom/NPR_report_OralContraceptives.pdf

"Our survey findings provide a benchmark for public sentiment on issues that are continually dividing lawmakers, businesspeople and healthcare professionals," said Raymond Fabius, M.D., chief medical officer at the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. "By pairing our robust data analytics with NPR's groundbreaking healthcare reporting, we're able to offer a valuable perspective on these critical issues."

"The polls let us delve into consumer attitudes about everything from flu vaccines to taxes on sugary drinks," said Hensley, NPR health correspondent and blogger. "The results provide a powerful and timely way to understand and explain how people view pressing health issues."

Thomson Reuters and NPR have been working informally on the polls for several months. "By solidifying our partnership, we believe we will create a valuable and lasting source of in-depth information about health," Hensley said.

To date, Thomson Reuters and NPR have addressed a number of healthcare topics, gauging sentiment on generic drugs, abortion, vaccines, food safety and other issues. NPR's reports on past surveys are archived at Shots: http://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=137038712&ps=sh_sttag

Thomson Reuters also offers a library of poll results: http://healthcare.thomsonreuters.com/npr/

The Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll is powered by the Thomson Reuters PULSE(SM) Healthcare Survey, an independently funded, nationally representative telephone poll, which collects information about health behavior, attitudes and utilization from more than 100,000 US households annually. Survey questions are developed in conjunction with NPR. The figures in this month's poll are based on 3,014 participants interviewed from April 1-13, 2011. The margin of error is 1.8 percent.

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

About NPR

NPR is an award-winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to create a more informed public – one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters