WASHINGTON – A new poll shows the public is moving toward support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted last March.
The June Kaiser Health Care Tracking poll found that public support for the bill has risen over the last month to 48 percent, while 41 percent are against reform. That's an increase from 41 percent favorable and 44 percent unfavorable in May.
According to Kaiser officials, the poll tested 17 different provisions in the new law, with 16 of 17 receiving majority support.
Twelve of the 17 provisions were supported by more than 60 percent of the poll respondents, with high favorability ratings for health insurance exchanges (87 percent), tax credits to small businesses (82 percent) and gradually closing the Medicare "doughnut hole" (81 percent).
"There's a lot to like in the new law and the public may be starting to figure that out," said Ruy Teixeira, a senior fellow at both The Century Foundation and American Progress.
Teixeira said the new Kaiser poll results are consistent with trends found in other public polls.
Not everyone agrees, however.
According to Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), MD, the health reform law "is bad for small businesses, employers and employees, seniors, families and our economy."
In a recent e-mail, Gingrey said the majority of employers anticipate that healthcare reform will increase their organization's health benefit costs, with a poll showing 88 percent of employers planning to pass on increases to their employees.
