Contacts:
Debra DeShong Reed, 202-528-4214
Amy Weiss, 202-203-0448

New Democracy Corps Battleground Poll of Swing Districts Finds Strong, Bi-Partisan Opposition to Cutting Medicare-Funded Nursing Home Care

Washington, DC – A Democracy Corps Battleground Poll of likely voters in swing congressional districts conducted in mid-December when Congress was in its final FY 2008 budget deliberations, and released today, found strong, bipartisan opposition to cutting Medicare-funded nursing home care, with 57% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans opposing any prospective congressional effort to do so. The poll also found 53% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans would be more likely to vote against their own member of Congress if he or she voted to cut this Medicare funding.

The Democracy Corps Battleground Poll of 1,527 likely voters residing in swing districts across the U.S. conducted 12/10-13 by Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research.

“This poll is significant in that it demonstrates the breadth of bipartisan opposition across the nation to cutting the Medicare-financed nursing home care our most vulnerable seniors depend upon for their quality of care and quality of life,” stated Alan G. Rosenbloom, President and CEO of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care. “Stable Medicare funding is integral to ensuring nursing home quality improvement efforts are sustained for the benefit of retirees today and the growing number of Americans who will require long term care in the years and decades ahead.”

The specific questions and results are as follows:

As you may know, Congress is considering legislation that would cut billions of dollars in Medicare funding for nursing home care over the next 5 years.  Do you favor or oppose this legislation?

If your Member of Congress voted to cut Medicare funding for nursing homes, would you be more likely to vote for or against your Member of Congress?

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