The fate of Obamacare will not be determined this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans that a vote on the Senate replacement plan called “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017”, which was meant to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, would be delayed until after Congress returns from its July 4 recess.
Senate Republicans met with President Trump yesterday afternoon as the White House continued to encourage GOP Senators to support the legislation. In the meantime, Americans are concerned about the proposed Senate plan.
A new Kaiser Family Foundation study shows that Americans have some strong opinions about the proposed direction for healthcare. According to the KFF study, the percentage of Americans who are in favor of the ACA has risen to 51%, a milestone given it’s the first time the favorable ratings have risen above 50% since 2010. While 41% of those polled still find the ACA to be unfavorable, 55% found the Senate GOP repeal and replace plan to be unfavorable. A staggering 85% of Democrats have an unfavorable view of the proposed Senate plan. The poll found that most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, do not view ACA repeal and replacement as an important priority.
Interestingly, the public seems to blame the greed of health insurance companies on insurers decisions not to sell insurance in some ACA marketplaces rather than on actions taken by either the Obama or Trump administrations.
Meanwhile, expect Senators to get an earful from constituents sharing their views on healthcare when they return to their home districts during the July 4 recess.
To view the entire Kaiser Family Foundation report, click here.
