Obamacare has been underwater in every Gallup poll since December, 2012 (and has been underwater in virtually every other poll taken by other pollsters). It has hit a new low as the new enrollment period starts
(Gallup) As the Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment period begins, 37% of Americans say they approve of the law, one percentage point below the previous low in January. Fifty-six percent disapprove, the high in disapproval by one point.
Americans were slightly more positive than negative about the law around the time of the 2012 election, but they have consistently been more likely to disapprove than approve of the law in all surveys that have been conducted since then. Approval has been in the low 40% or high 30% range after a noticeable dip that occurred in early November 2013. This was shortly after millions of Americans received notices that their current policies were being canceled, which was at odds with President Barack Obama’s pledge that those who liked their plans could keep them. The president later said, by way of clarification, that Americans could keep their plans if those plans didn’t change after the ACA was passed.
Approval is only at 33% for Independents, and 8% for Republicans. Obviously, Democrats mostly approve of the law at 74%, and are so brainwashed most will still probably approve of Ocare after they have lost the plans they like, lost their employer sponsored plans, get downgraded to less than 30 hours a week, and/or lost their jobs due to costs.
Repeal is highly unlikely, given Obama’s veto power, but the law’s new low in approval — and new high in disapproval (56%) — could potentially have an impact on its future. The president himself has acknowledged he will consider modifications to the law, which could include repealing the tax on medical devices.
As long as Obama is president, repeal is unlikely. This creates a further problem in that by the time a Republican can take over the Presidency, the earliest being January 2017, this horrible law will have been imbedded for too long, so straight repeal will cause people problems. It will be incumbent on the GOP to make sure they have replace legislation ready to go which creates a smooth transition to a system that works much better.
As for repealing a few of the measures such as the tax on medical devices, while important, the underlying issues with the entire system remain.
Yet 74% of enrollees are satisfied with the program. 94% of enrollees rate it at least fair or better.
Seriously. It is in Republican DNA to resist any type of universal healthcare.
Seriously, J can’t help himself from drama queen rants about Republicans. And seriously, your last sentence begins with the false premise that government run universal healthcare is superior to what it replaced. That, as most agree, is far from the case.
Sorry jeffy but those of us who live in the real world hate this piece of sh!t law.
I was NOT able to keep the plan I liked. My out of pocket expenses have now gone up 400% because of the completely unfair Cadillac plan tax that generous companies are getting hit with simply because some idiot in the government decided it was unfair to those who didn’t have such plans.
As bad as this is, at least I do still have employer provided health care. If I am ever forced into the exchanges then I am screwed. It would be cheaper for me to quit working as my out of pocket would then skyrocket by another 300% if not more considering how much the plans have increased already.
Spin it all you want, but the plans through the exchanges suck.
Our esteemed host wrote:
Which is what the left wanted all along: just to get something, anything, passed which would establish the principle that the federal government is ultimately responsible for the individual’s health care.
You see, Jeffrey got it right when he said, ” It is in Republican DNA to resist any type of universal healthcare.” Exactly: I am wholly opposed to the idea that the government should guarantee health care for anyone; if you cannot pay for it, or cannot pay for insurance, then you should not get it, even if that means you die in the street.
Anything else is simply quibbling over how to best manage and pay for the welfare system that is universal health care.
Dana is right and has the courage to say what most conservatives believe but won’t say anymore because of political correctness.
… even if that means you die in the street.
Nightie,
I’m sorry for your financial difficulties.
I guess you can be thankful your company paid for your luxury healthcare plan all those years. Of course, they could continue to pay for it now but chose not to for some reason, possibly because of the excise tax. They decided their employees’ compensation was not worth that much more. This way your employer gets to pocket more and effectively reduce your compensation.
Perhaps you can find another company that you feel compensates you more fairly.
Dana has always been willing to say exactly what he means.
2 Thessalonians 3:10:
Those who leech off of others are thieves.
Of course our resident Obama apologist misses the point.
They didn’t ‘choose’ to quit offering it. they were FORCED by provisions of the ACA to quit offering it because some idiot decided it was unfair for me to have a great health care plan while others didn’t and tax the hell out of companies that offered them.
If it wasn’t for the ACA and the unfair taxes included with it, I would still have my ‘luxurious’ health care plan.
But, of course you will come back with some other defense of your hero and hold up the relative few that have benefited as success while ignoring the majority that have been screwed.
Every person I know who by circumstance (like having their insurance cancelled in some cases) has had to sign up for Ocare, says that aside from getting subsidies which help them with their healthcare, you are in a paperwork nightmare for the rest of your life. If you work even part time, you have to report every penny you make. One friend said that they are scared that they will make one dollar over what they were approved for in subsidies, and live in constant fear of it.
We had a great healthcare system that needed tweaking, and we have had Medicaid to assist he poor. We ought to have increased Medicaid to include people who make wages that were at one time too high to qualify for it. This healthcare law is absolutely a horror show.