8%
8%
9%
11%
11%
11%
19%
24%
30%
36%
40%
State agencies
A non‐profit organization
Federal agencies
An employer
Your doctor
A health insurance company
Local TV news
National broadcast network news
Cable TV news
Newspapers, radio news, or other online news
Conversations with friends and family
NOTE: Question wording abbreviated. See topline (http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8439.cfm) for full question wording. None/Something else (VOL.) and Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Personal Conversations, News Media Lead List of Information Sources on LawPercent who say they have gotten any information about the health care law from each of the following sources in the past 30 days:
Of the information source you named, which would you say has been your MOST IMPORTANT source of news and information about the health care law?
1%
1%
2%
3%
3%
1%
3%
6%
14%
16%
15%
7%
6%
9%
65%
65%
61%
26%
26%
30%
Cable TV news
Newspapers, radio news, or other online sources
Conversations with friends and family
Mostly good things A mix of the two Mostly bad things
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Most Say Media, Conversations About ACA a Mix of Good and BadThinking about the information you’ve gotten about the law from your MOST IMPORTANT source, would you say you’ve heard mostly good things about the law, mostly bad things, or a mix of the two?
Among those who say each of the following is their most important source of information on the health care law
46
41
48 50
43
49
42
42 42
41 43 42 41 42 42 4239 41
3437
4137
42
41
4237
4138 38
45
38
43
36 3735%40
44
41
35
45
40
44
40 41
50 48 4641
44 4643 44 43
51
44 43 44 43
40
43 4441
44 43
40
43
39
42 4040%
14 1410
14 12 1115
18 18
9 813
1814 12
15 17 16 1519 17 19
1519
1519 18 17 19
1419 19
23 2324%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
AprMay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct NovDec Jan FebMar AprMay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct NovDec Jan FebMar AprMay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov FebMar Apr
2010 2011 2012 2013
Favorable Unfavorable Don't know/Refused
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Public Mixed on ACA, With Negative Views Slightly Outnumbering PositiveAs you may know, a health reform bill was signed into law in 2010. Given what you know about the health reform law, do you have a generally favorable or generally unfavorable opinion of it?
ACA signed into law on March 23, 2010
7872
6973
68
75
69 68 6973
6671
64
72
65 6460
65
52
62 64 62 64 6670
62
71 6964
72
64
72
57 5857%
36 37
49 48
41 42
3437 37
34
43
3741
35 3338
3336
32 34 3330
40 40 3934
3835 34
41
3237
32 3136%
138
2321
1621
1115
12 12 11 912
1720
16
24
1411 12
19
1216
127 8 7
128
16
10 12 12
1815%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
AprMayJun Jul AugSep OctNovDec Jan FebMarAprMayJun Jul AugSep OctNovDec Jan FebMarAprMayJun Jul AugSep OctNov FebMarApr
2010 2011 2012 2013
Democrats Independents Republicans
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Polls
Ongoing Partisan Divide on ACA
Percent who say they have a favorable opinion of the health reform law:
ACA signed into law on March 23, 2010
Accept that it is now the law of the
land33%
Dk/Ref.13%
Continue trying to change or stop it53%
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Over Half Say Opponents Should Continue Blocking Law, But Majority Disapprove of Defunding As Mechanism
Disapprove of cutting off
funding58%
Dk/Ref.11%
Approve of cutting off funding31%
Which comes closer to your view about the 2010 health care law? Those opposed to the health care law should accept that it is now the law of the land and stop trying to block the law’s implementation or those opposed to the health care law should continue trying to change or stop it, so it has less impact on taxpayers, employers and health care providers?
Some lawmakers who oppose the health reform law say that if Congress isn’t able to repeal the law, they should try to stop it from being put into place by cutting off funding to implement it. Whether or not you like the health reform law, would you say you approve or disapprove of cutting off funding as a way to stop some or all of health reform from being put into place?
33%
54%
31%
13%
53%
33%
58%
82%
13%
13%
12%
5%
Total
Democrats
Independents
Republicans
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Narrow Majority Support Efforts to Change or Stop ACA
Which comes closer to your view about the 2010 health care law? Those opposed to the health care law should…
Don’t know/ Refused
…accept that it is now the law of the land and stop trying to block the law’s implementation
…continue trying to change or stop it, so it has less impact on taxpayers, employers, and health care providers
58%
82%
55%
37%
31%
12%
36%
51%
11%
6%
9%
11%
Total
Democrats
Independents
Republicans
Disapprove of cutting off funding Approve of cutting off funding Don't know/Refused
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Majority Oppose Defunding As Way To Stop Health Law
Some lawmakers who oppose the health reform law say that if Congress isn’t able to repeal the law, they should try to stop it from being put into place by cutting off funding to implement it. Whether or not you like the health reform law, would you say you approve or disapprove of cutting off funding as a way to stop some or all of health reform from being put into place?
It is still the law of the land and is being implemented
59%
Don't know/Refused23%
It has been overturned by the Supreme Court and is
no longer law7%
It has been repealed by Congress and is no longer
law12%
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Omnibus Supplement (conducted April 18‐21, 2013)
Four in Ten Unsure Whether ACA Remains Law of Land
As you may know, a health care bill was signed into law in March 2010. As far as you know, which comes closest to describing the current status of the health care law?
Unaware of current status of health care
law (NET)42%
49%
42%
40%
49%
56%
58%
Total
Annual household income less than $40,000
Uninsured (under age 65)
Yes, have enough information No, do not have enough information
NOTE: Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Majority of Uninsured, Low Income Don’t Know How Law Will Impact Their FamilyDo you feel you have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it will impact you and your family, or not?
41%
21%
42%
68%
50%
72%
47%
21%
Total
Democrats
Independents
Republicans
Keep Medicaid as it is today Expand Medicaid to cover more low‐income people
NOTE: Other/Neither (VOL.) and Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
More Prefer to Expand Medicaid Than Keep As Is
As you may know, the health care law expands Medicaid to provide health insurance to more low‐income uninsured adults. The federal government will initially pay the entire cost of this expansion, and after several years, states will pay10 percent and the federal government will pay 90 percent. The Supreme Court ruled that states may choose whether or not to participate in this expansion. What do you think your state should do?
41% 50%
Keep Medicaid as is Expand Medicaid
NOTE: Other/Neither (VOL.) and Don’t know/Refused answers not shown.SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll (conducted April 15‐20, 2013)
Few Minds Changed By Argument on Medicaid Expansion
As you may know, the health care law expands Medicaid to provide health insurance to more low‐income uninsured adults. The Supreme Court ruled that states may choose whether or not to participate in this expansion. What do you think your state should do?
31% 7% 50% 41% 4% 44%
ASKED OF THOSE WHO WANT TO KEEP MEDICAID AS IS:What if you heard that this would mean many low‐income people in your state would be left without health insurance,
and your state would be giving up additional federal dollars for covering its uninsured residents. Would you still prefer to keep Medicaid as it is today, or would you now prefer to expand Medicaid to cover more low‐income people in your state?
ASKED OF THOSE WHO WANT TO EXPAND MEDICAID:What if you heard that this expansion may require your state to
spend some more money on Medicaid in the future, even though the federal government would be picking up most of the cost? Would you still prefer to expand Medicaid to cover more low‐income uninsured people in your state or would you
now prefer to keep Medicaid is it is today?
Still prefer to keep Medicaid as is
Now prefer to expand
Originally preferred to
expand Medicaid
Originally preferred to keep Medicaid as is
Now prefer to keep as is
Still prefer to expand
Medicaid
This Kaiser Health Tracking Poll was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation led by Mollyann Brodie, Ph.D., including Claudia Deane and Sarah Cho. The survey was conducted April 15‐20, 2013, among a nationally representative random digit dial telephone sample of 1,203 adults ages 18 and older, living in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii (note: persons without a telephone could not be included in the random selection process). Computer‐assisted telephone interviews conducted by landline (601) and cell phone (602, including 339 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI). The combined landline and cell phone sample was weighted to balance the sample demographics to match Census estimates for the national population on sex, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, nativity (for Hispanics only), region and telephone usage.
One additional question was asked on the Princeton Data Source omnibus survey. The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Omnibus Supplement was conducted April 18‐21, 2013, among a nationally representative random digit dial telephone sample of 1,002 adults ages 18 and older, living in the continental United States. Interviews conducted by landline (501) and cell phone (501, including 237 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English only.
All statistical tests of significance account for the effect of weighting. The margin of sampling error including the design effect for the full sample of the main survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points and plus or minus 4 percentage points for the omnibus survey. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher. Note that sampling error is only one of many potential sources of error in this or any other public opinion poll.
The full question wording and methodology of the polls can be viewed online at: http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8439.cfm
Methodology