WATERLOO - An overwhelming majority of AARP members in Iowa want some kind of health reform, according to a new survey released Sep. 1 by AARP.

Results show 91 percent of members want at least minor changes to the country's health care, while two-thirds said the system needs "major changes or a complete overhaul."

AARP Iowa director Bruce Koeppl said the results send a "strong message" for reform.

"People want health reform. They said the status quo is not acceptable," he said.

AARP did not ask about a public option or government insurance option. The organization has not taken a position on the issue and is waiting to see what emerges from Congress, Koeppl said.

Another 79 percent of the respondents said it was extremely or very important that all Iowans have access to affordable, quality health care.

Koeppl said survey results also showed that older Americans are open to changing Medicare.

Up to 96 percent of survey respondents supported steps to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare; 87 percent favor promoting Medicare programs that reward healthy behaviors; and 81 percent support reimbursing Medicare providers based on quality of care rather than the quantity of services provided.

Koeppl said his organization plans to share the survey results to Iowa's delegation and to the U.S. House and Senate. AARP also intends to conduct a van tour and town meetings with members, and to conduct advertising and direct mail campaigns to keep the pressure on Congress to act yet this year.

AARP commissioned RDD Field Surveys for a telephone survey on Aug. 25 and 26 of 500 members in Iowa aged 50 and older.

AARP said respondents were selected randomly from the organization's 400,000 members in Iowa. Responses were weighted to reflect the demographics of Iowa's population and Congressional districts. The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.

The full survey is available online at www.aarp.org/ia.

Rod Boshart contributed to this report.