Poll after poll shows that despite the health care bill passing, the American public is still not keen on the bill. The latest poll from Associated Press finds that 50 percent of Americans oppose the bill, with 39 percent approving. This is quite the change since just a few weeks ago when the bill was initially signed.
Public approval doesn’t usually drop once legislation is passed. After a bill is passed, it has a tendency to gain support. Instead, the public has grown more wary of what’s in the bill. Only 28 percent of those polled actually understood the bill. Considering the amount of people it will effect and the amount of time Congress and the President had to explain it, this doesn’t bode well.
The CBO released numbers before the bill was signed saying that it would decrease the budget. Its mix of Medicare cuts and tax increases, falling mainly on upper-income earners, would actually reduce the federal deficit. And people covered by large employers may even see a dip in their premiums. Not many believe this. Fifty-seven percent of those in this poll expect to pay more for their health care, while only 7 percent expect to pay less.
Many don’t want the government to set the tone for health care. Seniors especially are concerned by what the bill would do. Reducing Medicare funding could reduce the quantity and quality of services available to them. Forty-nine percent strongly oppose the new legislation. This group plays a big part in voting, especially during mid-term elections.
Meanwhile, the various legislative and regulatory agencies are commencing their work to begin to implement the various components of this reform bill. Although it is expected to phase in over the next 7 or more years, there are some early components that take effect in 2010. Regardless of the bills acceptance among the American public, our goal is to help each of our readers navigate through these changes so that each of you have a better understanding of the issues that we are all faced with.
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