A new poll released Tuesday is covered by a few national sources, mainly because its implications underscore the Obama Administration’s struggles with implementing the Affordable Care Act. The poll found widespread confusion and misinformation about the law across the US. For example, over 40% of those surveyed believed the ACA was no longer law.
The Washington Post (5/1, Kliff) “Wonkblog” reports on the new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, released Tuesday, demonstrates “what a challenge the Obama administration faces in implementing its signature health-care law.” Specifically, the survey found that “fewer than six in 10 Americans know that the Obamacare law is still on the books. Seven percent think the Supreme Court struck it down; 12 percent say Congress repealed Obamacare.” To sum it up, the blog says that “before a deluge of public outreach, set to begin this summer, kicks off,” Americans “do not know a lot” about the law.
NBC News (5/1, Montanaro) reports further, “the law continues to be viewed more negatively than positively, with just 35 percent saying they have a favorable view and 40 percent saying they have an unfavorable one. But the prolonged implementation, complexity of the law, and messaging by opponents has aided in the confusion.”
The ABC News (5/1, Parnass) “The Note” blog reports that “the survey showed public opinion on Obamacare is at its second-lowest rating in the past two years.”
As The Hill (5/1, Baker) “Healthwatch” blog puts it, “The survey is a stark reminder of the daunting task ahead for the White House as it works not only to remind people that the law exists, but to encourage them to enroll in its new coverage options.”
CQ (5/1, Norman, Subscription Publication) reports on one specific part of the Kaiser poll, that “‘conversations with friends and family’ are cited as a source of information about the law in the past month by 40 percent of those surveyed.” As a takeaway, the article recommends the Administration “spur people to start talking it up among folks at PTA meetings, neighbors in line at the grocery store, relatives at family gatherings or parents at day care centers.”
