Overall, public perception of the healthcare reform law remains pretty negative. But one requirement of the law is viewed favorably by the vast majority of registered Republicans, Democrats and independents.
The requirement: That health plans provide easy-to-understand benefits summaries.
A recent poll of 1,209 adults by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that 84% of the general public (88% of Democrats, 87% of independents and 76% of Republicans) viewed this provision as “very” or “somewhat” favorable. Included in that figure are the 60% of respondents who consider the requirement “very” favorable.
The other 10 most-liked elements of the reform law:
- Tax credits to small businesses — 80% view these as “very” or “somewhat” favorable/45% as “very” favorable
- Subsidy assistance to individuals — 75%/44%
- Closing the Medicare “doughnut hole” — 74%/46%
- Health plan decision appeals — 74%/37%
- Medicaid expansion — 69%/34%
- Guaranteed issue of insurance — 67%/47%
- Rate review — 66%/31%
- No cost sharing for preventive services — 64%/33%
- Employer mandate/penalty for large employers — 63%/35%.
Note: One thing that surprised us was the poll didn’t ask respondents about the dependent coverage rule requiring medical plans to extend coverage to participants’ children under the age of 26.
Overall perception still negative
Despite such positive reactions to the aforementioned provisions, the public still views the law as a whole unfavorably, according to the poll.
When asked if they had a generally “favorable” or “unfavorable” opinion of the reform law, only 37% said they find it “favorable.”
Meanwhile, 44% said they find the law “unfavorable,” and 19% said they “didn’t know” or refused to answer the question.
When asked who’d benefit most from the law, respondents said the uninsured, lower income Americans and people with pre-existing health conditions.
As for the country as a whole:
- 35% said it would be “better off”
- 36% said it would be “worse off”
- 22% said the law “won’t make much difference,” and
- 7% said they “didn’t know” or refused to answer.
Respondents also believe the law paints an equally unflattering picture for middle class America:
- 31% said the middle class will be “better off”
- 37% said it’ll be “worse off”
- 25% said the law “won’t make much difference,” and
- 7% said they “don’t know” or refused to answer.
