Prospects for single payer coverage after Harry and Louise.
OBJECTIVE
This paper considers evidence of indirect influences of the Harry and Louise media campaign on public support of single payer health coverage in a conservative state.


METHODS
Data from a statewide, representative public opinion survey on health reform conducted in Oklahoma over a two-year period, 1992-1994, were combined with data on the Harry and Louise media campaign broadcasts. A two-stage structural-equation model tested the hypothesis that support for single payer varied inversely with support for "mainstream" health reform.


RESULTS
Findings support the hypothesis, providing evidence that a campaign affecting support for mainstream health reform inversely affects support for single payer, despite the tendency for support for health reform to correlate with support for single payer.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that an unintended indirect effect of a campaign against mainstream health reform may have been increased support for single payer. Those proposing future reforms should be aware of available media technologies and how they will be used.
Swan
James H
JH
Department of Public Health Sciences, Wichita State University, KS 67260-0152, USA. swan@chp.twsu.edu
Goldsteen
R L
RL
Goldsteen
K
K
Clemeña
Wendy
W
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007343:Insurance Carriers; D008119:Lobbying; D008402:Mass Media; D009825:Oklahoma; D011057:Politics; D011639:Public Opinion; D018855:Single-Payer System / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040241:Social Marketing; D012952:Societies; D014481:United States