Is it a popularity contest? Support for ACA ticks upward

While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains at the center of political discussions about repeal and/or replace, the healthcare law continues to climb in popularity, according to recent polls.

The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll from Kaiser Family Foundation found that 48 percent of respondents viewed the ACA favorably, which is a high-water mark for the law in more than 60 polls since 2010. Forty-two percent of those polled viewed the ACA unfavorably.

A survey from the Pew Research Center found 54 percent approved the ACA, while 43 percent did not. That approval rate marks the highest level recorded by Pew and a six-point improvement since December.

Further findings from the Pew Research survey include:

• Younger adults are more likely than older people to approve of ACA. Those younger than 30 approve (65 percent approve versus 31 percent disapprove).
• Partisan divisions continue to exist over the health care law. Among Democrats, 85 percent expressed approval, 53 percent of independents support the ACA, and 89 percent of Republicans broadly disapprove of the law.

Additional findings from the Kaiser poll include:

• Americans remain at odds about what should be done about 2010 health care law. Some 47 percent want lawmakers to repeal the law, while 48 percent said legislators should not vote to repeal the ACA.
• A large majority of Americans (65 percent) would prefer to see Medicaid continue as it currently is, rather than moving toward other alternatives to the current federal funding structure.
• The majority of respondents said it is “very important” (55 percent) or “somewhat important” (29 percent) for ACA replacement plans to ensure that states that have received federal funds to expand Medicaid continue to receive those funds.

The Kaiser poll reached 1,160 adults by telephone between Feb. 13-19 with a three point margin of error. The Pew survey included 1,503 adults between Feb. 7-12 with a margin of error of 2.9 for all adults.