53 Percent of Americans Have Unfavorable View of Federal Health Care Law, Just 15 Percent Have “Very Favorable” View

The latest
Reason-Rupe poll finds 53 percent of Americans have an
unfavorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while 41 percent
have a favorable view. Even among those with a favorable opinion of
the law, a quarter like the law less now than when it was first
passed.

Republicans are more intensely opposed to the federal health
care law than Democrats are supportive. More than half of
Republicans (59 percent) are very unfavorable toward the law while
just 26 percent of Democrats are very favorable toward it. In
total, 81 percent of Republicans have a negative view of the law
and 63 percent of Democrats have a favorable view. Independents are
more likely to agree with Republicans as 59 percent have an
unfavorable opinion of the law.

Favorability toward the law increases with education; while 56
percent of those with a high school education or less view the law
unfavorably, a majority (54 percent) of those with post-graduate
degrees view it favorably.

Several groups expected to be most supportive of the law have
turned against it.

Among the 13 percent of Americans currently without
insurance—ostensibly the group the law is most intended to help—a
majority (58 percent) has a negative view of the law.

Millennials are evenly divided in their view of the law.
However, when younger millennials (18-24) are broken out from older
millennials (25-34), the older cohort is more negative toward the
law (54 to 40 percent) while younger millennials remain split.

Hispanics are also evenly divided in their view of the federal
health care law with 48 percent who have an unfavorable opinion and
43 percent with a favorable one. In contrast, 61 percent of white
Americans are unfavorable and 69 percent of African-Americans are
favorable toward the law.

Unmarried women are evenly divided on the law while majorities
of unmarried men and married men and women have a negative view of
the law.

Reason-Rupe also asked if Americans like the law more or less
than when it was passed. Most Americans (71 percent) report that
their views have not changed. However about 1 in 5 say that while
they liked the law initially they like it less now. Another way of
looking at this is of the 44 percent of Americans who say they
initially liked the Affordable Care Act, a little less than half
like it less now. Despite the Obama administration’s efforts to
rally support for the Affordable Care Act, just seven percent of
Americans who say they disliked the law when it was passed say they
like it more now.

Nationwide telephone poll conducted Dec 4-8 2013 interviewed
1011 adults on both mobile (506) and landline (505) phones, with a
margin of error +/- 3.7%. Princeton Survey Research Associates
International executed the nationwide Reason-Rupe survey. Columns
may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full poll results,
detailed tables, and methodology found here. Sign
up for notifications of new releases of the Reason-Rupe
poll here.