The premium subsidies that are at the heart of the Obama administration's promise of health care for all aren't overwhelmingly popular with the American public. But a clear majority does support the subsidies and health care reform overall.
That's the indication from a couple of polls — one by the Associated Press and one by Reuters — that sought input from American adults about the much-anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling that will either embed premium subsidies in the health care system or strike them down in states where consumers receive federal subsidies.
The Reuters poll found the highest level of support for Obamacare. When it asked respondents whether they supported health care reform, 60 percent said they did.
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When AP surveyed American adults specifically about the pending court ruling, 56 percent said they hoped the court would retain the subsidies, with 39 percent saying they'd like to see the Supreme Court strike them down.
AP identified the usual party-line split — 66 percent of Democrats support keeping the premiums, compared to 31 percent of Republicans.
But the AP poll revealed a perhaps deeper concern on the part of Americans. Only one in 10 surveyed said they trusted the members of the court to decide the case based on its merits and not on their personal opinions of PPACA, and 48 percent said they weren't sure the court could rule impartially.
When asked whether Congress should reshape the reform law, 51 percent said they want "Congress to amend the law to make it clear that people are entitled to help regardless of what their state leaders do," AP reported. "But 44 percent prefer that Congress leave the law as is and let states decide whether they want to create insurance exchanges that would allow their residents to receive subsidies."
Reuters interviewed some 1,800 Americans who got their health insurance through an exchange. Among those respondents, 60 percent said they were in favor of PPACA. That compares to a 47 percent favorable rating by the full survey group of 21,000 U.S. adults.
The party line split in the Reuters poll varied from AP's, with 73 percent of Democrats favoring the law and 53 percent of Republicans giving it two thumbs up.
"One of the most divisive U.S. laws in decades, Obamacare helped launch the conservative Tea Party movement that has reshaped the Republican Party. But Republicans are now in a difficult position, with two powerful forces converging," Reuters reported. "One is an effort by some congressional Republicans to repeal Obamacare, which is churning forward. The other is a Supreme Court ruling expected in June on a case brought by libertarian activists challenging the legality of federal Obamacare tax subsidies to help people afford coverage."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
