NORC poll: Negotiate on ‘Obamacare,’ don’t just kill it
Although a deep partisan divide endures over the 2010 Affordable Care Act, people may be less far apart on what policymakers should try next, says the
In the poll, 8 in 10 said
The poll was conducted as the
A foundation for common ground seems to be this: Nearly everyone wants changes to the Obama law, while hardly anyone wants to see it abolished without a substitute in place. The
Among
"Since we are a nation that's founded on compromise, I don't see why we can't compromise on this," said Valcee Cox, a retired high school history teacher in
"When they talk about repeal and not replacing, that scares me half to death," said
Former President
The law's private insurance markets are shaky in many areas, with premiums rising and insurers exiting due to financial losses. The law's Medicaid expansion has worked more smoothly, but 19 states still refuse it, amid debates about costs and the government's role in health care.
Candidate Trump promised voters that repeal would be a slam-dunk, and that better, more affordable health care would take its place. Instead the first six months of his presidency have been consumed with fitful efforts to move
With McConnell lacking the votes to pass his overhaul in the
The AP-NORC poll suggests the debate over Republican plans actually may have nudged the nation toward the left on health care.
In the poll, 62 percent said it is a federal responsibility to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage, a 10-point increase from just a few months ago. Thirty-seven percent said health care for all is not a federal responsibility, down from 47 percent in March.
"When confronted with millions losing coverage, Americans are more supportive of the principle that the federal government should cover people," said
Indeed, 59 percent said they preferred leaving "Obamacare" in place over its outright repeal.
The poll found a deep sense of unease over Republican plans.
Thirty-seven percent said they or their families would be made worse off by the
Part of the explanation may be that
Of major elements in the
Repealing Obama's unpopular requirement that nearly all Americans have coverage or pay a fine got the support of 44 percent, while 39 percent were opposed.
Allowing insurers to charge older customers higher premiums based on their age got the support of only 7 percent, while 78 percent were opposed. Among
Denying federal funds to
Overall, 51 percent of Americans said they were opposed to the Republican health care plan, while only 22 percent supported it. Among
The AP-NORC poll of 1,019 adults was conducted
Online:
AP-NORC: http://www.apnorc.org/PDFs/July%202017%20Health%20Care/July%20Omnibus%20Topline_FINAL.pdf
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