Public attitudes toward health planning under the Health Systems Agencies

The demise of the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-641) raises questions about the degree of public support it had for planning goals. The results of a 1978 nationwide public opinion poll reveal (1) low confidence in and recognition of the Act's institutional arms, the Health Systems Agencies; (2) little support for hospital cost containment strategies and their consequences; and (3) less than average support for these goals and consequences among those groups traditionally under-represented in health planning activities. The results suggest that the Act did not reconcile centralized federal goal formation with democratic local health planning.