Poll Finds Support for the 'Public Option'

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll says that a "public option" as part of health care reform won support of those surveyed by 48 percent to 42 percent, a turnaround from last month when it was opposed by 48 percent to 46 percent. The poll was conducted Oct. 22-25 and has a 4.4 point margin of error.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that the Senate legislation would provide for a public plan that would compete with private insurers on rates, but would let states opt out of it if they chose.

Seventy-two percent said it was important to give people the choice of a public option while 23 percent said it was not.

A CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted in mid-October said 61 percent favored the public option compared to 38 percent who were opposed. A Washington Post/ABC News poll from the same period put the margin of support for it at 57 percent to 40 percent. A Gallup poll had opinion more evenly divided at 50 percent to 46 percent in favor of the public option.