Pew Survey Finds 54% Of US Consumers Have Negative View Of Health Law
A new Pew Research Center survey of 2,008 US adults conducted between April 12-19 indicates that a majority of Americans hold unfavorable views towards Obamacare, the burdensome healthcare mandate passed in 2010. Currently, just 44% of those surveyed approve of the healthcare law, while 54% disapprove. This is a change from previous results in July 2015, when a Pew survey found that 49% disapproved of Obamacare and 48% approved. Additionally, 44% currently say Obamacare’s “impact on the country has been mostly negative”, while 39% say it has been “mostly positive”, and the remaining 13% believe “it has not had much of an effect.” More people believe the healthcare law has had a positive effect than in December 2013, when only 23% felt it had a positive effect. However, the number of Americans believe the law has mostly negatively-affected the US has remained nearly unchanged. US News & World Report points out that people’s view of Obamacare remains “deeply divided” along demographic lines, with 78% of Democrats approving of it, compared to just 9% of Republicans. Meanwhile, 33% of whites approve of the Obamacare, compared to 83% of blacks and 57% of Latinos. And, around 33% of “those with family incomes of $30,000 or less say the law’s effect on their lives and the lives of their families was mostly positive, compared with 18% of those with higher family incomes.” The Hill “Blog Briefing Room” says data show the share “of Democrats and Independents who think the law has had a positive impact on the country has risen.” Some “66 percent of Democrats said the law has had a positive impact on the nation, compared to just 42 percent in 2013.”
What This Means For Small Businesses
Small businesses have suffered on the front-lines of rising healthcare costs. As consumers continue to see negative financial consequences from implementation of this burdensome healthcare mandate, it’s no wonder they continue to hold the same concerns about the law as many small business owners.
Additional Reading
The Daily Caller also reports on the new Pew Research Center survey.
Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.
