Support for Democrats' Health Care Reform Falls to 42 Percent, Poll Shows

Just 42 percent of voters support Democrats' health care reform plans even though a majority wants Congress to pass some version of reform, according to a new poll released Monday.

The Rasmussen survey shows 54 percent is opposed to the plans backed by President Obama and Democrats in Congress. The percentage of voters supporting the proposals is down 2 points from the previous week and down 4 points from the week before that.

The survey reflects persistent public skepticism toward the health care overhaul in its current form, even as it advances steadily through Congress. The Senate Finance Committee last week became the last of five congressional panels to approve its version of health care reform -- the full House and Senate still have to merge and vote on their separate packages.

The Rasmussen poll showed that seniors are even more heavily opposed to the plans, with 59 percent opposed and just 36 percent supporting.

However, most voters expect the package to clear Congress. The Rasmussen poll showed 56 percent says passage is likely.

The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted Oct. 10-11. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.