MENLO PARK, Calif.--A new survey finds widespread support across the political spectrum for a number of health initiatives likely to be taken up by Congress in 2007, as well as a widely held view that government should do more to address the high cost of health care.

The poll, conducted in November by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, surveyed 1,867 adults for their views on health issues as a new Democratic majority takes the leadership of Congress and as the 2008 presidential campaign begins to take shape.

While the war in Iraq continues to play a dominant role among the public's priorities, researchers said economic and health concerns follow.

According to the poll, there is debate in Washington over how to do it, but most adults support allowing the government to negotiate drug prices under Medicare (85 percent). There is also widespread support for permitting Americans to buy lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada (79 percent). Eight in 10 people believe drug price negotiation would make medications more affordable, while 31 percent believe it would result in less research and development by U.S. drug companies.

More than half of Americans support broader federal funding for stem cell research, though with sharp partisan divisions: 67 percent of Democrats compared to 37 percent of Republicans.

The public in general favors greater government support for medical research. When asked to pick a public health priority, 67 percent chose increased spending to develop treatment and cures for diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, compared to 14 percent who pointed to prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and 13 percent who said better preparation for public health threats like avian flu, according to the survey results.

When asked to pick their top health care priority, most people pointed either to expanding coverage for the uninsured or reducing health care costs. Fewer chose improving the Medicare drug benefit, the poll found. And, while policymakers struggle with the budget deficit, few people (6 percent) rank reducing spending on government health programs as their top priority.

The poll also found a strong desire among the public for initiatives to address health care costs.

With previous polls showing health care affordability topping the list of personal worries for Americans, it is not surprising that substantial majorities see health care prices as unreasonable compared with other goods and services, including hospital charges (86 percent), brand name drugs (83 percent), health insurance premiums (70 percent), nursing home charges (63 percent) and physician fees (59 percent).

The survey shows that almost two-thirds (64 percent) of the public believes government can do a lot to address the cost of health care.

When faced with a choice between the government trying to solve the health care cost problem by dealing directly with providers and insurers and limiting what they can charge versus giving consumers tax incentives to buy high-deductible coverage and encouraging them to shop for lower prices and better quality, most people (59 percent) chose direct government action.