The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law in 2010, but the major provisions expanding health insurance coverage, along with the 'individual mandate' requiring most Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine, went into effect in January 2014. The Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking public opinion on the law since its passage through our monthly opinion tracking polls. These polls have found overall public opinion on the ACA to be deeply divided on partisan lines, reflecting the strong pro- and anti-Obamacare messages voiced by Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington and around the country. Confusion and misperceptions have also been common, with many Americans unsure about the status of the law, unaware which provisions are and are not contained in the ACA, and feeling uninformed about how it will impact their own families. This presentation will explore trends in overall public opinion, including whether and how opinions have changed following major news events related to the ACA and whether shifts occur as more people learn about the law through their own experiences or those of their family and friends. It will also provide an early look at the role public opinion on the ACA is likely to play in the upcoming midterm election in November 2014.

Public opinion and the Affordable Care Act

248th National Meeting (2014)

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