They also trust Obama to do a better job of addressing the issue than congressional Republicans by a 47 percent to 31 percent margin, with 21 percent undecided. Overall, voters have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party by a 53 percent to 25 percent margin with 18 percent undecided, while they view the Democratic Party unfavorably, 46-38, with 13 percent undecided.

But voters do not want Congress to pass an overhaul bill without bipartisan support. Fifty-seven percent hold that view while 37 percent say Democrats should push a bill through on their own, if necessary. That said, by 59 percent to 29 percent, with 12 percent undecided, they do not believe congressional Republicans are making a good-faith effort to cooperate with Obama and the Democrats.

Fifty percent support the proposal to require people to have health insurance, compared to 45 percent who do not, with 4 percent undecided. (The margin of error in this poll is 1.9 points.) That's a turnaround since Quinnipiac asked this question in July and 51 percent opposed the idea and 44 percent supported it.

Sixty-nine percent support giving people the option of turning to a government health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers, compared to 34 percent who oppose it. That proposal is in the House bills, but a pair of Democratic measures that would create a public option failed in the Senate Finance Committee late last month.