A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows a sharp drop in views about the Affordable Care Act. In the mid-October poll, just 34% (down from 41% in September) had a favorable impression of it.
In AEI’s early October Special Poll Report on healthcare polls, we noted a sharp decline in views about how the law would affect the country as a whole and separately, and in views about whether the healthcare law would make things better or worse for individuals and families. In a February 2009 poll, 38% of respondents said they and their families would be better off. In September 2011, 27% gave that response. That’s now 18%. Views about whether the country as a whole would be better off dropped 10 points from September to October.
We suspect the new Kaiser findings say more about the miserable economy than changes in views about the bill, but that won’t be clear until we have a few more data points. A CBS News/New York Times question from October showed that 45% wanted to repeal all or part of the bill, while 41% wanted to let it stand. The September CBS/New York Times responses were virtually identical.
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