Gallup’s latest survey of public attitudes on Obamacare was conducted after the White House news conference last week and the associated pr blitz the administration launched in its effort to get something through Congress before the recess. But instead of shoring up support, the blitz appears to have strengthened the opposition.
Here are the main takeways, according to a GOP source on the Hill:
Impact on cost: A top selling point by the administration for the Democrat bills in Congress is that their legislation will reduce costs. People aren’t buying it.
· By two to one (34-18) Americans believe the cost of their health care will go up.
· 45 percent believe costs will go up nationally and only 14 percent see a reduction in costs nationally
Impact on care: While respondents are more optimistic about the impact nationally, more Americans believe the health care legislation will worsen their own medical care than improve it.
· 34 percent believe their own health care will worsen while only 26 percent believe it will be improved; 29 percent believe it will make no change at all
· 34 percent also believe that the legislation will worsen medical care nationally, though 44 percent believe it will improve. Only 24 percent of Independents believe their own medical care will be improved
Impact on access: Here again, respondents were more pessimistic about the impact on their own care (important) than the national impact.
· More Americans believe the legislation would reduce their access to health care (29) than expand it (21); 39 percent believed it would make no change
· Less than half (47) believe that access to health care would be expanded nationally, while 29 percent say it would reduce access and 13 percent believe it would have no effect. Only 29 percent of Democrats believe it would improve their own access to health care
