A survey published Wednesday by Bankrate.com finds the percentage of people who support Obamacare has plummeted since September. Meanwhile, the percentage who say they would repeal it has grown.
When Bankrate surveyed opinions before the launch of heathcare.gov it found an even split, with 46 percent saying they would repeal the law and the same number saying they would keep it in place. The latest survey released Wednesday found 48 percent now favor repeal versus just 38 percent who say it should be kept.
Bankrate insurance analyst Doug Whiteman says of the decline in support “I really think that stems from all the adverse publicity in the last several months.” Obamacare had two months of largely negative press starting in mid-October once the government shutdown ended.
By a margin of 2-to-1 people surveyed felt Obamacare was doing more harm than good for their own health care. In addition to the declining support for the law, Bankrate also found that 44 percent of people with employer-based insurance (i.e. not purchased on healthcare.gov) said the cost of their health care had gone up. About half of those, 47 percent, said they were seeing larger deductions in their paychecks.
David Sterling, an insurance company executive, tells CNBC that Obamacare mandates, such as allowing adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents plans, are driving premiums higher for his clients. “I’m getting calls from my customers, they’re saying, ‘Who can afford these premiums, we’ve never seen premiums this high.’ “
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.