'Individual mandate' opposed by many

Half of Americans oppose the "individual mandate" clause in the healthcare reform law that requires all Americans to purchase health insurance, but 71% agree that healthy people should buy insurance to help pay costs for those that are sick, according to the results of a Harris Interactive/HealthDay online poll released in March.

The poll found that 56% of Americans agree that if everyone is required to have health insurance, including healthy people, it will make the average cost of insurance less expensive. More than half (51%) agreed that requiring insurance companies to provide health insurance to people with preexisting conditions will not work unless everyone is required to have insurance.

Half of those surveyed felt the individual mandate was unconstitutional, whereas 20% thought it was constitutional, and 30% weren't sure.