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Cost, Coverage are Top Health Care Issues in Election 2004"
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- More than two in five U.S. adults, or 42%, report there are health care issues in this election which may influence the way that they vote. Of those who may be influenced, nearly one quarter say that if the presidential election were held today, the issue that would have the most influence on how they would vote is the total cost of health care (24%) followed by expanding health insurance to reduce the number of people who are uninsured (22%), according to a recent Harris Interactive poll.Meanwhile, more folks would choose Sen. John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, as dinner companions than President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, a Zagat survey found.The health care issue that will have the most influence on how people vote is also the issue that the largest proportion of U.S. adults say they care about "a lot" or "a great deal" -- the total cost of health care (86%). Majorities also care "a lot" or "a great deal" about improving the quality of health care (85%), the cost and prices of prescription drugs (78%), and protecting the public against bioterrorism, such as Anthrax or smallpox attacks (78%), the Harris Interactive survey found.With many people caring a great deal about health care issues and a large number (albeit not a majority) saying there are issues that may influence how they vote, it's important to know, in such a close election, which candidate people believe will be more likely to address the health care issues that are important to them. Kerry leads Bush among likely voters on this issue by a 45% to 36% plurality."Sen. Kerry holds a significant nine point advantage over President Bush among likely voters as the person more likely to do what people want about health care," said Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive. "This is a relatively modest lead on an issue where Democrats often enjoy much larger ones. This may reflect the extreme polarization of this campaign with many people reluctant to associate any good things with a candidate they oppose."When it comes to dinner, 52% of the respondents in a Zagat survey chose Kerry and 48% picked Bush. Kerry running mate Sen. John Edwards was the top choice among vice-presidential candidates, garnering 59% of the votes to Dick Cheney's 41%.On the distaff side, 51% said they'd like to have dinner with Teresa Heinz-Kerry compared with 49% who preferred Laura Bush."