Less than two weeks away from the insurance marketplaces opening for enrollment, the majority of the American public appears to be dead-set against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The survey was performed jointly by USA Today and the Pew Research Center. When respondents were asked if they approved or disapproved of the healthcare law, 53 percent were opposed to it – 41 percent of which was "very strongly" against it. Just over 40 percent said that they were in favor of the ACA, approximately one-quarter being fervently behind the legislation, which was signed into law three years ago.
As with other polls – such as one from the National Federation of Independent Business – many consumers are vague about what the law includes. Only 25 percent of respondents reported being "very" familiar with the law. Meanwhile, about 34 percent said that they either didn't know much about it or nothing at all. For example, when participants were asked if the ACA required those who were uninsured to get coverage – whether through employee benefits or the individual market – only 70 percent responded with the correct answer.
Perhaps the most widely reported component of the health reform law is that it mandates every individual to purchase some form of health insurance. Should they decide not to buy coverage, fines start at $95 and more than double in the second year if a plan isn't purchased by then.
With certain portions of the healthcare law already in place, the poll also asked respondents about what kind of impact it's had on the country at large. One in four said it was "mostly positive," while 38 percent said it was "mostly negative." The remaining 38 percent either didn't know or believed the impact, if any, was negligible, the USA Today/ Pew Research Center poll found.
