New Field Poll Finds a Majority of California Voters Support the ACA
A majority of California voters said that they support the Affordable Care Act, even though nearly half of them do not expect the law to have a significant effect on their lives, according to a Field Poll sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, the Sacramento Bee reports.
The poll is the second of three health care-related Field Polls scheduled to be released this week. A poll released on Monday examined whether California voters' health care costs had increased in the previous year.
Findings of New Poll
According to the most recent poll, public opinion about the law among California voters has remained unchanged since 2010, with 53% supporting the law and 38% opposing it.
The poll found that:
- 63% of voters under age 30 said they support the law, compared with 27% who said they oppose it; and
- 47% of voters age 65 or older said they support the law, compared with 43% who said they oppose it.
In addition, 62% of respondents said they support a planned expansion of Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, under the ACA.
Despite overall support for the law:
- 57% of respondents predicted that the law will cause Medicare beneficiaries to lose health benefits; and
- 54% said they believe currently insured individuals will be forced to change their coverage.
When asked about the effect the law would have on them:
- 46% of voters said they do not think it would make their situation significantly better or worse;
- 26% said it would worsen their situation; and
- 23% said it would improve their situation.
The poll found that 15% of voters reported being very knowledgeable about the ACA, a four percentage point increase from 2011. In addition, 60% of voters reported being somewhat knowledgeable about the law, a seven percentage point increase from 2011, according to the poll (Siders, Sacramento Bee, 8/20).
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