On Health Care Reform’s 6 Month Anniversary – Have Opinions Changed?

Talk of repealing the health care law is nothing new. Republicans have requested the law be revoked since the moment it passed. As the November elections close in, Republicans feel that their call to rescind the law will gain them votes. After all, many Americans still do not like the legislation that passed.

What is surprising is just why many do not agree with the Affordable Care Act. According to a new Associated Press poll, 30 percent of respondents favor the law, another 40 percent oppose it and another 30 percent remain neutral.

In fact, many feel that the law doesn’t go far enough. 4 in 10 adults thought the law should go further, regardless if they support the current law, oppose it or remain neutral, while 2 in 10 think the government shouldn’t have been involved in health care in the first place.

The law won’t take full effect until 2014, when more than 30 million people will qualify for coverage. But an additional 20 million will remain uninsured.

Despite the wide variety of opinions, there is one commonality among these groups. Most still don’t understand what’s in the health care law. They agreed that medical care, health insurance and prescription drugs cost far too much. Most felt the system should increase the number of insured people, while improving quality. Opinions differed when it came to how to bring this about.

25 percent of those who think the government should get out of health care favor requiring health insurance companies to sell coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, while 54 percent of people who think more should have been done agree.

28 percent of the former group are opposed to requiring medium to large companies to provide insurance to their employees or pay a fine, while 68 percent of the latter group are for this initiative.

A majority of those who feel government should not be involved disagree with the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance starting in 2014, while those who think more should have been done are split, with 34 percent favoring the mandate, 33 percent opposing it, and 32 percent neutral.