Socialists celebrating passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. (AP File Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – Fifty-five percent of Americans say they disapprove of President Obama’s signature health care law, up from 47 percent who disapproved of it just a few weeks ago, in late October.
Approval numbers also dipped in Gallup’s Nov. 7-10 poll: Only 40 percent said they like the law, down from 44 percent in late October.
Currently, 73 percent of Democrats, 39 percent of independents, and 8 percent of Republicans approve of the healthcare law.
Gallup asked people, “What are some of the reasons you approve (or disapprove) of the 2010 health care law?”
Among those who disapprove, the leading complaint is philosophical in nature:
–37 percent cited “government interference/forcing people to do things.”
–21 percent mentioned said Obamacare “increases costs/makes health care less affordable.”
–11 percent said they had lost their insurance.
— 8 percent said Obamacare is “not working/a big mess/hurting people.”
— 8 percent said Obamacare is “not well planned/poorly designed/website issues.”
Among those who approve of the law:
— 23 percent said Obamacare “makes healthcare accessible to more people.”
— 15 percent said the law is “fair/right that everyone should have health insurance.”
— 14 percent said it “provides more health insurance options.”
— 14 percent said it “controls costs/Makes health care more affordable.”
— 12 percent like that it “covers people with pre-existing conditions.”
The implications, according to Gallup:
Americans have always been divided on Obamacare, but lately they are tilting more significantly toward disapproval.
“That more negative evaluation may not have as much to do with the content of the law as the implementation of it, in particular how that squares with the president’s earlier characterization of how the law would work,” the pollster said.
“How the administration handles these challenges to the implementation of the law, plus any new ones that emerge in the coming months, could be critical in determining the trajectory of the “disapprove” line in Gallup’s trend chart for the healthcare law.”
Results for the Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Nov. 7-10, 2013, with a random sample of 1,039 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Source material can be found at this site.
