Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Finds Increased Support for Affordable Care Act; Skepticism about the American Health Care Act and the President’s Campaign Promises

A new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll released this week shows that about two-thirds (64 percent) of the public say that it is a “good thing” that the American Health Care Act did not pass. More than half (52 percent) of the public said that they are “relieved” that the bill did not pass, reflecting concern about the impact that the American Health Care Act would have had on people’s access to quality health insurance. In the same vein, more people said the bill did not pass because it went “too far” in cutting benefits than said it failed because it did not go far enough.

Moreover, 75 percent said that the administration should do what they can to make the current health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), work – signaling disappointment with strategies to undermine the ACA in order to cause its demise. A majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans surveyed share this sentiment. Because the future of any other replacement plans are uncertain, the survey also asked who the public views as responsible for ACA going forward. A majority of the public say that because President Trump and Republicans in Congress are in control of the government, they are now responsible for any problems moving forward.

Finally, the survey found that the public is increasingly doubtful about the ability of the administration to deliver on the campaign promise of less expensive and better health care for all Americans – only 37 percent say they are confident that President Trump will be able to deliver on this campaign promise, down from 47 percent three months ago.

Read the tracking poll here.