More say healthcare is the nation's most important issue

Nineteen percent of U.S. adults see healthcare as the country's most important problem, up from 12 percent in October, a Gallup Poll indicates. The Gallup Poll, conducted Nov. 7-10, found healthcare ranked second behind dissatisfaction with government as the top problem, but ahead of the economy in general, unemployment and the federal debt. Mentions of poor healthcare or the high cost of healthcare as a top problem facing the nation nearly doubled since September and are higher now than in any month since the Affordable Care Act become law in March 2010, Gallup said. This suggests recent troubles with the federal health marketplace website rollout since Oct. 1 might be fueling public concern, Gallup said. The 26 percent of U.S. adults who mentioned dissatisfaction with government as the top problem this month is down slightly from a record high of 33 percent in October. However, this month marked the first time since 2007 that non-economic issues occupied the top two spots on Americans' list of most important problems. Fewer Americans have been mentioning the economy in general or unemployment specifically this year, possibly reflecting their increasing confidence in the economy. The survey of 1,039 U.S. adults has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.