Poll finds 49% of doctors support 'Medicare for All'

In a recent poll of healthcare workers, almost half of physicians said they support "Medicare for All."

A new Medscape poll found physicians are more likely than other healthcare professionals to support the concept of Medicare for All. But overall, healthcare professionals are almost equally divided over the proposal to replace private health insurance with a new, federally financed healthcare system.

The poll of 1,306 healthcare professionals found that 49% of physicians agree with the Medicare for All concept, 47% of nurses and advanced practice registered nurses favor it, followed by 41% of those in health business/administration and 40% of pharmacists.

Congress is holding hearings on a Medicare for All plan unveiled by progressive Democrats earlier this year. The bill would transition the entire U.S. health system into a single-payer structure over the course of two years.  

RELATED: The CBO analyzed what it would take to shift to a single-payer system. Here are 5 takeaways 

Healthcare professionals said the biggest challenge would be how to pay for the government program. The second largest challenge was bureaucracy.

More than half of physicians also said they are worried they would earn less with a Medicare for All system. Some 59% of physicians responding to the survey said they were concerned or somewhat concerned that Medicare for All would reduce physician compensation.

The poll of healthcare workers reflects the split among supporters and opponents of the plan. Advocates say there is an urgent need for universal health coverage to protect patients from crippling medical bills.

Opponents question how much it would actually cost the U.S. to make any Medicare for All proposal happen.