When asked about individual elements of healthcare reform, a majority of people from both parties like many key benefits.
Maybe we should just stop calling it “Obamacare.” Because when you ask average Americans — both Democrats and Republicans — they support many of the benefits of healthcare reform. For those who oppose the law, maybe they just don’t like President Obama. That’s distinctly possible. In fact, I’d call it highly probable.
But since most people know the law by the term “Obamacare” instead of its official name, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” let’s forget the label and just look at the facts.
According to a poll conducted by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, Americans on both sides of the aisle are fans of the benefits health reform delivers.
Here are a few highlights:
- Nearly 90 percent support making healthcare costs more affordable for small businesses by offering tax credits for buying health insurance.
- 80 percent support closing the Medicare “donut hole” in prescription drug coverage to make healthcare more affordable for senior citizens.
- 80 percent are in favor of making healthcare more affordable for families by letting college-age Americans stay on their parents’ health insurance.
- 80 percent support the creation of healthcare marketplaces to let consumers shop for competitively priced insurance benefits.
- 76 percent think providing subsidies to help people pay for private insurance is a good idea.
- Just over 71 percent think their states should expand Medicaid to cover low-income people who are currently uninsured.
But wait. It gets even better! A poll conducted by Heritage Action, the activist wing of the conservative (and anti-Obamacare) Heritage Foundation, found that most respondents said they LIKE Obamacare — even though the poll oversampled Republicans. This article explains the unintentionally hilarious results.
So the next time you hear someone saying the majority of Americans are opposed to Obamacare, you can set the record straight.
Want to learn more? Visit HealthCare.gov for details about the health insurance marketplace, where open enrollment begins October 1. You can also get information and email updates from Get Covered America.
[Photo credit: William Melton Jr. / SEIU]
