New Poll Shows Majority of Americans Disapprove of Republican Health Care Repeal

Americans are becoming increasingly concerned that their health care coverage will get worse under the Republican health care repeal, according to a new poll. If Republicans are serious about improving health care, they should listen to the American people and scrap their attempt to repeal Obamacare and work with Democrats to build on the ACA.

 

A majority of Americans, 55 percent, have an unfavorable view of the Republican health care repeal and say they either want the Senate to make major changes, or reject it all together. Unfortunately, it’s not clear that Senate Republicans are listening.

 

Washington Post: “Some senators want to soften parts of the House bill, especially provisions that would allow insurers in individual states to charge higher premiums to consumers with costly medical conditions. Others, however, want to hew to a tough line on state flexibility, as well as Medicaid spending reductions and other issues. With a narrow 52-member majority, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has little room to maneuver among the disparate factions in his own party.”

 

McClatchy: “Democrats have been left out of the Senate’s talks on its own bill so far, but they’re using the potential cuts in health coverage to criticize Republicans at the beginning of what’s expected to be a tough election season for many.”

 

Roll Call: “Republicans have opted to try to move their bill under special budget rules and intend to pass it in the Senate with only GOP votes. At least a simple majority will be required.”

 

More than 75 percent of Americans don’t think that the Republican repeal fulfills most of the promises Trump has made about health care, and they’re holding Trump and Republicans accountable for any “current and future problems” with the ACA.

 

Associated Press: “President Donald Trump has called the House-passed health care bill a ‘great plan,’ but a new poll finds that three out of four Americans do not believe it fulfills most of his promises. The poll out Wednesday from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation also found a growing share of the public concerned that the GOP's American Health Care Act will have negative consequences for them personally by increasing their costs, making it harder to get and keep health insurance, or reducing quality.”

 

Associated Press: “Only 4 percent said the GOP bill fulfilled all of the president's promises, while another 10 percent said it delivered on most of his promises.”

 

NPR: “Two-thirds of respondents, including half of Republicans, say that President Trump and Republicans are responsible for any current and future problems with Obamacare.”

 

Washington Times: “Major players in the marketplace have withdrawn from the Obamacare marketplace, citing a sicker-than-expected pool of customers, though some insurers say they’re hiking rates due to uncertainty ushered in by Mr. Trump. If trends hold, pockets of the country could be left without any options at all under the program in 2018.”

 

In fact, almost half of Americans, 45 percent, say they expect their health care costs to go up if the Republican health care repeal becomes law. While one-third, 34 percent, expect their quality healthcare to get worse.

 

The Hill: “The poll also addressed public views on the personal impact of Obamacare repeal. Nearly half of those surveyed said they think their families’ health costs will get worse under the replacement plan, up from 28 percent who said so in December.”

 

Washington Post: “The survey also finds that nearly half of Americans say the quality of their health care and their ability to get insurance coverage will stay about the same if the House bill is adopted. At the same time, the public is increasingly pessimistic about these issues as well as potential cost.”

 

As they learn more details, Americans are increasingly concerned with provisions in the Republican health care repeal that would weakens protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and raise costs for working families, mothers, and older Americans.

 

Washington Post: “Some of the highest ‘less likely’ responses were on changes made to ensure House passage, such as allowing states to let health-care companies cut back on benefits they cover so they can sell cheaper plans. For most of the AHCA's reforms tested by the Kaiser poll, more said each made them less likely to support the law than more likely.”

 

CNN Money: “The least popular: Allowing health insurers to cut benefits so they can sell cheaper plans, letting insurers levy surcharges or base premiums on health status for those who let their policies lapse and raising premiums for older consumers, while decreasing them for younger ones.”

 

That’s because almost half of the public, 49 percent, holds favorable views of the ACA, while only one-third, 31 percent, say the same about the Republican health care bill.

 

NPR: “When it comes to health care, Americans may be having buyer's remorse. More people approve of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, than the alternative health bill passed this month by House Republicans, according to a poll published Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The numbers come just as members of the Senate are hammering out details of their own health care plan. Republicans are looking to fulfill their years-long campaign promises to repeal Obamacare. It's just not clear that voters want them to do so.”

 

CNN Money: “Theresa Treece is among those worried that she'd have to shell out more for health care under the GOP bill. Treece, who had rheumatoid arthritis, credits Obamacare with making health insurance affordable for her. (…) ‘The GOP has not come up with something better or cheaper. I don't care what they say,’ said Treece, who voted for Trump. ‘I'm worried about the cost. I'm worried about the coverage. The Republicans are not facing reality.’”

 

Think Progress: “Based on the KFF poll, passing the House bill as-is looks like it would be an almost surefire political loser for the Republicans. Just 8 percent of respondents said the Senate should pass the House legislation with no changes; 24 percent said the House bill should pass with only small tweaks.”