The NYT/CBS poll on the health care law offers interesting clues

[ProSense]

Views reflect the respondents’ partisanship. A majority of Democrats in the poll approve of the law, though not overwhelmingly so – 56 percent approve, including 28 percent who strongly approve. Approval peaks among self-described liberals, at nearly two-thirds.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/poll-47-disapprove-of-health-care-law/?hp

Look at what the poll shows:



http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57404342-503544/poll-47-disapprove-of-obama-health-care-law/

"Strongly approve" jumped four points since December. "Strongly disapprove" fell five points since then. In fact, "strongly disapprove" is at the second lowest point since the law passed.

Without the details, it's hard to tell what this polls actually shows in term of what people want to happen to the law. "Somewhat disapprove" is up, and so is "strongly approve."

Kaiser goes into more detail, showing more clearly what people want to happen and what they approve and disapprove of.





http://upload.democraticunderground.com/1002367724



Edited to correct: "second" lowest. Still, 30 percent is the lowest since October 2010.

[SidDithers]

1. K&R. Facts are good...nt

Sid

[ProSense]

3. Another interesting

fact: Only 7 percent of Democrats "strongly disapprove"

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/CBSNYTPoll_health_care_032612.pdf

[Rex]

4. That is a tiny number.

Yet I am surprised that many strongly disapprove.

[ProSense]

5. Well

"That is a tiny number. Yet I am surprised that many strongly disapprove."

...McCain got 10 percent of the Democratic vote.

[Rex]

8. HA!

Good point.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Wait until the mandate starts actually kicking in, of course that was timed to take place after

the next Presidential Election.

Thanks for the thread ProSense.

[ProSense]

6. The mandate

"Wait until the mandate starts actually kicking in, of course that was timed to take place after the next Presidential Election."

...couldn't go into effect before the plan is fully implemented.

[bornskeptic]

7. The mandate will be much less unpopular after it is implementeded than it is now.

More than 50% disapprove now, but less than 5% will actually be affected by it.
Most of the people who hate the mandate have insurance now, so it either doesn't affect them or they will be able to get better insurance at a lower price. Most people who don't have insurance now would like to have insurance, but can't afford it because their income is too low, or can't get it because of pre-existing conditions. Thosw problems will be mostly eliminated by the premium support payments and guaranteed issue. Many who oppose it now, imagine that the insurance offered on the exchange will be similar to what they could buy now in the individual insurance market, because few people have any idea what 70% actuarial value means. Millions who oppose the individual mandate now will be so surprised by what the insurance they can get covers that they will rush to sign up before the mandate takes effect.

[ProSense]

9. There are also

the exemptions...

The Individual Mandate: How Sweeping?

The so-called “individual mandate” – the provision under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most individuals to carry a minimum level of insurance coverage and is now being considered by the Supreme Court – has emerged as the least popular element of the reform law and the prime target for its opponents. Yet in practice, the mandate may not be quite as far-reaching as the controversy over it suggests.

The vast majority of Americans already get insurance from their employers, Medicaid, Medicare, the individual market, or other sources of coverage, and will essentially automatically comply with the mandate once it goes into effect in 2014. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that about 80% of the 272 million non-elderly people in 2014 would be insured even in the absence of the ACA and would therefore already fulfill the mandate’s requirement.

Also, although the ACA requires people to maintain health insurance or else pay a penalty, the law allows a series of exemptions and special considerations, meaning that millions of individuals could be exempt from the requirement to maintain coverage.

The mandate’s exemptions cover a variety of people, including: members of certain religious groups and Native American tribes; undocumented immigrants (who are not eligible for health insurance subsidies under the law); incarcerated individuals; people whose incomes are so low they don’t have to file taxes (currently $9,500 for individuals and $19,000 for married couples); and people for whom health insurance is considered unaffordable (where insurance premiums after employer contributions and federal subsidies exceed 8% of family income).

- more -

http://healthreform.kff.org/notes-on-health-insurance-and-reform/2012/march/the-individual-mandate-how-sweeping.aspx