realize that we cannot have a country where suddenly older americans are on the streets. they work for all their lives. finally, we get so security. people said we can have all americans without health care so we got medicare. when we finally need to make a change, we make a change. this is one of those times. do not be scared of the future. let's embrace the future. let's go after the future. if we do, i am confident we can create a health care system that gives you a choice, allows you to keep your doctor, drives down costs, makes sure that every american does not have to worry if they lose or change jobs. that is their aim. that is our goal. thank you, everybody. i appreciate you. thank you. [applause]

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[no audio] [no audio] [marching music] >> president obama spam about an hour, taking questions at northern virginia community college in annandale, virginia. the phone numbers are on the screen for your questions. let's go to pittsburgh, pennsylvania. caller: i have listened to president obama's space. i have many concerns. i have been a nurse for 32

years currently, i do home care nursing i work with the insurance companies. i to understand that some changes do need to be made. when he said centoxin the people and talks about -- when he talks about being -- having a better spell out there -- i have been on the phone for the last four days trying to get patients medication that is approved by the fda that is not on the formularies, they are saying that i cannot have my doctor's order that medication. host: nothing you hear from the president will change that? caller: what will change is that there will be more oversight and discretion as to what the doctor to fill the orders his patient. host: thank you for your input. next caller -- caller: i was calling to say

that the president is accusing republicans about scare tactics. he is trying to scare people into thinking they will have no health care coverage of the future. he fails to inform the people -- people that 30 percent of medicare costs are for october -- a fraudulent. i think he is giving a false impression of what health care -- the health care system is all about. if the things the government can run things, he is mistaken. host: this is leonard, in huntington beach. caller: your previous caller alluded to what i was going to say. we already have socialized medicine -- medicare and medicaid, fraught with abuse. now, we expect that the government will run a new program and be able to run it better? i do not buy it. host: to pennsylvania, came crawling -- calling on our democrat like.

caller: barack obama is speaking the truth. the people are suffering. they cannot get medical treatment. they cannot get anything. host: president obama at northern virginia community college in annandale, virginia. you can watch it any time on line at c-span.org and we will show again tonight in our prime time, beginning at 8:00 eastern, here on c-span. good afternoon to andrew, on a republican line. caller: after hearing his speech about health care, i cannot help but think that when he says if you read it and mall for the scare tactics, you will realize that this is a wonderful bill for it i wish he would say that he would encourage looking at the counter argument. i would rather have him say you

should take a look at -- this is an important bill for our country. i would wish that he would say to draw your own conclusions rather than pushing for his own opinion. host: where have you read about the bill? caller: i have been reading about it for my local mayors paper and news reports. host: independent caller -- caller: i just watch your coverage of the obama speed. i think he is being very disingenuous. he said it does not want to take over health care. he said the same thing about the automobile industry. he was not telling the truth banbury why should we believe him now? host: next up is cleveland. what did you think about the comments of the president today? caller: i think he hit the nail on the head when he stated, a

public auction is a necessity because it gives the private insurance is competition for it -- competition. host: during a news conference he was asked why he is not choosing a government-run system that would eliminate high- overhead costs. the president responded that he does not want to suddenly up in the system that provides health care for the vast majority of americans. union, mississippi, up next, a republican caller. this is john. caller: on this health program -- i am a retiree. i work a lot of years and pay for medicare. i am still paying a premium now. with this program they are coming up with, i have to turn around and be taxed in all kinds of different ways to pay for other people's health care. they have never paid into medicare.

that is taxation without representation. we have about run out of money. we have run out of money in the united states and they are operating on chinese dollars now. host: this is video from a few minutes ago. to detroit, this is hank, an independent. caller: i studied the president's proposal and all the other proposals. i looked at the tactics that these ultra right wing business on wall street and business people have. it is the same old thing. i think we need to get behind this president. he is sincere. he has the qualified people around him. he is doing the right thing. he is asking for our help. host: we remind all callers to give you 30 days between calls.

wal-mart endorsed the idea of using large companies to offer insurance to their employees. this is omaha, next, at all on our democrat line. caller: the president is doing a magnificent. -- a magnificent job. why do not they address the subject of the hospital's charging such exorbitant prices for our madison got mad -- are madison got a hospital. -- our medicine got a hospital. host: what were you an awful for? caller: -- what were you in the

hospital for? caller: i was in for blood pressure and then i was in for a back procedure because of the spinal fracture in the back. the two combinations of bills pile up. i have nebraska med here or is it nebraska insurance? nevertheless, i asked possible for a printout. i could not believe what they charge me for a bottom and. they charged me $4 for a vitamin and i would get a whole bottle at 8 cents apiece. host: thank you for sharing your experience. congress will be back next week to pick up to date and discussion on health care legislation. they are out for the july 4

recess. the house back on tuesday, july 7. july 6. caller: i wanted to voice my opinion on the health care policy. i am a republican. the way i see it -- we bailed out everybody, big companies, private companies, banks, and all that and i am afraid that we cannot afford to give health care to all these people. i know people needed. we have had medicare. there are people do furnish health care. i do not think we can afford it. we will be going down the drain with all the money we are giving away. that is all i have to say. host: one more call from chattanooga, tenn., an independent line. caller: this calls the companies

-- i had an experience with medicare part d. mother uses it and she cannot but take a village of the 90 day offer because living in an assisted living quarter, they require the drugs to be blister packs. that means yet to go to the local pharmacy to do it. she cannot take advantage of that. she now pays a premium. host: are you hoping that some of this discussion, this new health care legislation that is coming through, will deal with that? caller: i have not heard anything on that.

i never got a reply back on it from the white house. they are being penalized because every assisted living i checked, she is an alabama, they require these things to be blister pack. ed. any of the regular forces have not provided that service. she cannot get a 90-day supply host: host: present obama speaking in northern virginia community college is set in. you can watch online anytime c- span.org we will have it for you again tonight at 8:00 eastern, here on c-span. many opinions on the fun for it and many opinions released in a national poll on health care conducted by dick quimmipiac

polling institute. [no audio] >> good morning. i am peter brown. i am here to talk about our new poll that we released this morning about american attitudes toward health care reform. many of you have poll front of you and i will talk about the highlights. quinnipiac is a private university that does research and we do monthly national polls. we do paul's arms of its subjects.

we are proud of the fact that our polls are perhaps the largest on by anybody. we have a 3000-person sample which is a large sample for a national public opinion poll. most run about 1200. among the big bones of contention in health care reform, as congress and the president wrestle with how to what the details will be, is whether there should be a public plan option for people. should there be a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurance? 69% of americans think there should be. they permit one. conversely, only 20 percent of them say they would utilize it. that is a dichotomy. people want the option but they do not want to use it themselves. they are skeptical about government debt from health insurance. one of the other big issues is cost. congress is trying to put together a plan between $1

trillion and $1.50 trillion dollars. when we asked voters have much more they are willing to pay for national health care reform, we get answers that do not add up to that amount of money. boaters would be very happy to have higher taxes on the rich and on business to finance it. they are skeptical about taxes for the rest of everybody else. 49% of voters say they would pay higher taxes for health care reform. 45% say they would pay no higher taxes. of the 45% -- of the 49%, more than half of them say they would -- they only pay up to five other dollars per year more. that is about $10 per week or the cost of the cheese pizza once a week without toppings typical -- without toppings.

some of the other key findings -- voters are not happy about the notion that everybody would be forced to have health insurance coverage. this is called the individual mandate. that is an issue before congress. some people want in the plan. they also are very on how about the prospect that health insurance benefits that employees get work which are not taxed currently would be taxed. that idea is quite unpopular. that is supposed to-one. -- 2-1. most voters want health care reform. that is fair to say. what health care reform means is different things to different people. we guessed what was more important, lowering costs for covering everyone. a majority say lowering their

cost. i would be happy to take your questions in detail. >> can you talk about the break "to democrats and republicans? -- can you talk about the breakdown between democrats and republicans? >> in general, republicans are more tax averse. republicans are more skeptical of a government-run health program. there's nothing counterintuitive there. there are an awful lot of people who are not republicans who are skeptical about government-run health insurance. one of the other questions we asked was whether they thought that if the government offer their own plan to compete with private insurance, that would drive private insurance out of business. that was whether people thought that was a good idea or bad idea.

most people thought that was a bad idea. they do not want an exclusive government-run health system. let me give you some ideas on questions. on the question of paying more taxes for health insurance plans. overall, 49% said they are and 45% said they are not. only 45% of republicans are not willing to pay more. democrats are willing to pay more. the independents are split down the middle. that is a pretty good way of exploiting the partisan divide you ask about. >if you look at demographics, by

age, younger people are more willing to pay taxes for a national health plan of some sort. 61% of voters between 18 and 34 would be willing. among older voters, the number drops. only 40% of people between 34 and 54 are willing to pay more. if you break it along racial lines, whites are less likely, only 45%, african-americans 73%, hispanics, 53%. there are quite a divide in these issues. yes, ma'am? >> what about the minorities in

relation to the health plan? how did they think about health care reform? >> we do not have a large a sample of asian-americans. african-americans are more willing. let me get that number. 73% of african-americans said they would be willing to pay more taxes for a national health plan. 53% of hispanics are willing to pay more taxes for a national health plan for it whites are not only 45% of them are willing to pay more taxes for national health plan. that pattern is pretty similar throughout. yes, ma'am? >> if most americans do not want

to choose to be covered by government-run health insurance, why do most people think there should be one? >> that is the dichotomy. yes, people want a government- run plan as an option for it -- option. there's a suspicion as to whether they want to trust their health or their families' health to it. there is a skepticism about government in this country and a variety of factors proponents of the obama administration have painted a picture of a government-run health care plan, much like in europe and great bear -- in great britain. americans do not have a good view of the plan for the read stories about long waits for care there. it is covered by their tax money. that is the europeans. americans are clearly wary of

it. they think your body should have the option. they just do not want for themselves or families. the other interesting aspect of the poll is that we asked people -- let me find a question for you. [no audio] what is clear is that voters do not think there should be a radical restructuring of their taxes to pay for health care. they are very happy to have business do it. there is strong support to make this to do it. they do not want to be forced to have health insurance.

as you may know on the negotiations on capitol hill, the health insurance companies, which are trying to have influence, have said they are willing to go to be a part of this but i want to make sure that all americans are covered. the reason being that people -- insurance companies want government -- want everybody to sign up for a private plan because they think that will defray their costs. the people or do not have insurance have health care have less -- have less health care issues. they resist the notion that they have to have health insurance. yes, ma'am? >> what do you make of the numbers on approval or disapproval the way the president is handling health care? let me look for that question.

obviously, the number is not all that impressive. 46% give him a thumbs-up and 46% given a thumbs down. his job approval rating is in the high 50s in most polls for it this is obviously an area where voters are more skeptical that is given the publicity we have seen about this. again, it is important to remember that there is a clear consensus that voters favor some kind of change in health care. the devil is in the details. most people to find a health insurance overhaul as when it lowers their cost. a sizable minority think that

health care reform means covering everybody. there is that the economy that reflects the fact that americans like the idea in general but the devil is in the details. they are not thrilled with the details. [no audio] anything else? yes. >> was there anything that struck you surprising, that you weren't expecting from the poll results? >> there is the lot of polling and health care reform. we were trying to do questions

and approach it in a way that some have not. one of the things that surprised me was the number of people who favored a public plan and then the relatively small number who said they would be willing to use it. as i told someone earlier, i think that generally reflects the sentiment of government role in general. they're talking about the european health care system and some of the perceived flaws. that was noteworthy to me. 72% of voters said they would only be willing to spend up to $500 in new taxes to pay for this one trillion dollar plan -- $1 trillion plan. that strikes me as a disconnect. the public perception of how big a cost will be does not jibe when you do the math. almost half are not willing to pay any tax. that is 45%. there is