ACA Support Among Democrats Drops by 15 Points, KFF Poll Finds
Support for the Affordable Care Act among Democrats has decreased by 15 points since November 2012, which could be attributed to a "post-presidential election fade," according to a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll released Wednesday, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports (Viebeck [1], "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/27).
The survey -- which was conducted by telephone from Feb. 14 through Feb. 19 -- drew responses from a nationally representative sample of 1,209 adults across the 50 states (KFF February 2013 Health Tracking Poll, 2/26).
According to the new poll, 57% of respondents who described themselves as Democrats expressed support for the ACA, compared with 72% of self-identified Democrats who responded to KFF's November 2012 poll.
In addition, the poll found that overall 42% of respondents oppose the ACA and 36% support it. In November 2012, 43% of respondents supported the law, compared with 39% who opposed it. Among respondents who did not identify a party affiliation, support for the law also declined, from 37% in November 2012 to 32%.
KFF analysts reported that it would be "difficult to say whether this downward drop will last," adding that "[s]upport seems to have shifted to the no-opinion category, up to nearly a quarter, a new high in Kaiser polling" (Viebeck [1], "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/27).
Many Believe ACA Covers Undocumented Immigrants, Poll Finds
The latest KFF health tracking poll also found that 42% of respondents incorrectly believe that the ACA provides health benefits to undocumented immigrants, "Healthwatch" reports. More specifically, the poll found that one in three Democrats and more than 50% of Republicans said they believe that the law provides benefits to the immigrant group. About one in four respondents said they were unsure about the matter.
However, 63% of respondents said they believe that provisionally legal immigrants should be able to enroll in Medicaid, while 59% said they think such immigrants should be able to obtain insurance subsidies under the ACA.
According to the poll:
- 83% of respondents who were Hispanic said provisionally legal immigrants should have access to the insurance subsidies and 86% said the immigrants should be eligible for Medicaid;
- Nearly 78% of blacks believe such immigrants should receive subsidies and 77% said the immigrants should be eligible for Medicaid; and
- 50% of whites said they believe provisionally legal immigrants should receive subsidies and 56% said the group should be eligible for Medicaid.