(CNN)Over half of Americans (54%) say that the government should provide a national health insurance program for all, even if it would mean higher taxes, but only one-in-five say it should completely replace private health insurance, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
Slightly more say that the national program shouldn't completely replace private health insurance (29%) than think it should (22%), with 41% who think there shouldn't be a national health insurance program at all.
Almost nine-in-ten Democrats support a national health insurance program overall and half of independents agree.
Core Democratic constituencies such as non-white Americans, women and young adults are the most likely to support a national health care plan, between 63% to 70% in those groups favor implementing one. Republican groups are more opposed, with 75% of Republicans overall who say the government shouldn't provide it, including 53% of whites without college degrees and 51% of men.
At the CNN town hall in Iowa, Kamala Harris came out in support for a Medicare-for-all plan, that would eliminate private health insurance, causing some debate among Democrats as to the best route to take for public health insurance. Since then, she has backtracked slightly saying that she is willing to consider alternate routes to a single payer system.
Significantly more Democrats (36%) than Republicans (6%) want to eliminate private health insurance with 19% of independents in the middle. More women want to completely replace private insurance than men (25% to 18%) and more non-white Americans than white (27% to 19%). Those who earn under $50K a year are more interested in replacing private health insurance (26%) than those who earn less than $50K (20%). There isn't a big difference in age groups - 23% of Americans under 45 years old and 21% older than 45 wanted to remove private insurance.
Taxes
A majority oppose raising the personal income tax for those with $10 million or more to a 70% tax, but more are in favor of a tax on those whose net worth is fifty million dollars or more, from the same CNN poll. Only 41% want to tax those who earn $10 million or more a year at 70%, but 54% favor a tax for those whose net worth tops $50 million.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), shown here in New Hampshire, has a plan to tax the wealthy.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has sparked a national debate with her 'Green New Deal' proposal to tax those at the top of the tax brackets with a 70% income tax to fund a method of combating climate change. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts proposed a plan that would tax Americans with assets of $50 million or more.
While Democrats favor the 70% tax on those who earn $10 million or more, many subgroups more groups are likely to support a tax on net worth, in addition to an income tax.
Almost seven-in-ten Democrats favor a tax on those whose net worth is $50 million or more. They are joined by 55% of independents, and 36% of Republicans. That's substantially more support than the 62% of Democrats, 39% of independents, and 19% of Republicans who supported a 70% personal income tax on those who earn $10 million or more.
The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS January 30 through February 2 among a random national sample of 1,011 adults reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, it is larger for subgroups.
