September 2018

Voters Highly Concerned About Health Care and Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and the Affordable Care Act

“The new PPP survey…comes amid a surprisingly tight race between Kelly and DiNicola,” says PennLive.

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Pennsylvania  battlegrounds of PA-10, PA-16 and PA-17. Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement in response to the poll findings:

“It’s clear that Pennsylvanians are deeply concerned about health care. That must worry Scott Perry, Mike Kelly, and Keith Rothfus, who put their party ahead of Pennsylvanians when they voted to bring back the age tax, voted to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions and stood by while the Trump Administration went to court to throw our health care overboard.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-10

• Health care is an important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 56% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 57% of voters.
• 57% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 42% plurality of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (42%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Perry because of his silence on the lawsuit.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-16

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 58% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 60% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 62% of voters.
• 57% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 41% plurality of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (42%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Kelly because of his silence on the lawsuit.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll PA-17

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 60% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.

• Pennsylvanians are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 63% of voters.
• 68% oppose the Trump administration lawsuit to eliminate the health care law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including a 54% majority of Republicans. Pennsylvanians are also less likely to vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (47%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Rothfus because of his silence on the lawsuit.

The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in PA-10, PA-16 and PA-17.

• Nearly 60 percent of issue based searches in the counties in PA-17 were on health care.
• In PA-16, health care is the top ranked search in all three counties, by double-digit margins in all counties.
• In PA-10, health care is the top ranked search in six out of nine counties, representing 64 – 44% of searches

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

PennLive: Access to Healthcare is Driving Voters in this Key Pa. Congressional Race, Poll

New polling data out of Pennsylvania’s surprisingly competitive 16th Congressional District drives that reality home, with a bare majority of voters (51 percent) saying they support keeping, and improving, on the Affordable Care Act.

The new survey by Public Policy Polling also shows voters in the race between GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and Democrat Ron DiNicola giving a clear thumbs-down on President Donald Trump’s job performance (52-44 percent, disapprove), and a clear majority (57 percent) opposing the White House’s support for a court case seeking to eliminate the healthcare law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Nearly six in 10 of the 659 voters who responded to the push-button poll (58 percent) listed healthcare as either a “very” important or the “most” important issue in this November’s mid-term election. And a clear majority of respondents (54 percent) said they voted for Trump in 2016.

The new PPP survey, conducted in conjunction with the advocacy group, Protect Our Care PA, comes amid a surprisingly tight race between Kelly and DiNicola.

Voters Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and Incumbents’’ Pro-Repeal Record, Say They Want Affordable Care Act Improved Rather than Repealed, and Trust Democrats More Than Republicans With Their Health Care

“The 7th Congressional District – stretching west from some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods into the Harris County suburbs – has become critical turf in the November midterm elections,” says the Houston Chronicle

Texas Congressional District 32 is “the most competitive race in North Texas,” says ABC News in Dallas

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Texas battlegrounds of TX-07 and TX-32. Said Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, in response to the poll findings:

“From their repeated votes to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions, to their votes to allow insurance companies to charge people over 50 five times more for healthcare, Pete Sessions and John Culbertson’s repeal-and-sabotage records are out of step with Texas voters, who say that health care is one of the most important issues to them this election.”

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in TX-07

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 65% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Texans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 58% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters.
• In a preview of the November election, Democrat Lizzie Pannill Fletcher holds a slight lead over Republican John Culberson, 47-45.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in TX-32

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 66% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Texans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 58% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters.
• In a preview of the November election, Democrat Colin Allred has a lead over Republican Pete Sessions, 47-42.

The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in TX-07 and TX-32.

• In Dallas County (TX-32), 46 percent of all issue searches were on health care; the next highest immigration (34 percent).
• In Harris County (TX-07), 41 percent of all issue searches were on health care; the next highest was immigration (37 percent).
• In a preview of the November election, Democrat Colin Allred has a lead over Republican Pete Sessions, 47-42.

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

Qurorum Report: PPP Poll Shows both Sessions and Culberson Trailing Challengers

“A new round of polling out from Public Policy Polling finds both Representatives Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, and John Culberson, R-Houston, trailing their Democratic opponents Colin Allred and Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, respectively.

“[…] 66% of those surveyed in Sessions’ district said health care is either the most important or a very important issue when choosing who to vote for. 58% of voters think charging those over age 50 more than the young for health insurance is a major concern.

“Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 61% of voters in Sessions’ district.

“Similar numbers appeared in Harris County, where 65% said health care was either the most important or a very important issue. 61% of voters there felt eliminating protections for people with pre-exisitng conditions is a major concern.”

Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek:

FOX POLL: Dems hold 15 Point Advantage on Health Care, Health Care #1 Issue

New polls from the weekend give further evidence to the supercharged backlash against Republican for trying to repeal health care – gutting protections for pre-existing conditions and raising costs, especially for people over 50.

“Every poll shows that voters have uncovered the truth about the Republican health care repeal and they don’t like what they see,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. “Republicans can’t defend their indefensible plan to rip health care away from people with pre-existing conditions and raise costs, especially on seniors, while giving tax breaks to their insurance and drug company donors.”

A FOX News Poll Shows:

• Voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of health care by 14 points (39-53 percent). This margin grows to 24 points among independents (28-52 percent).
• When making their decision of who to vote for, voters say health care is their #1 issue (59 percent extremely important and 27 percent very important).
• By 15 points (49-34 percent), voters say Democrats are doing a better job on health care than Republicans. The lead grows to 16 points (51-35 percent) with likely voters and holds up at 12 points (48-36 percent) even with voters over 45 years old.
• For the first time in their survey since the Affordable Care Act passed, less than 40 percent believe the law went too far (only 37 percent). In fact, 54 percent believe either didn’t go far enough (31 percent) or was about right (23 percent).

A CBS Battleground Survey Shows:

• Seventy percent of voters in these battleground districts say health care will be a very important issue in their vote, just ahead of Supreme Court appointments (66 percent), immigration (63 percent), and gun policy (60 percent).
• Health care ranks number one on the list of “very important” issues to voters. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats say it is very important, as do 64 percent of independents.

Voters Disapprove of Republican Attacks on Pre-Existing Conditions and Incumbents’’ Pro-Repeal Record, Say They Want Affordable Care Act Improved Rather than Repealed, and Trust Democrats More Than Republicans With Their Health Care

Washington, DC – New Public Policy Polling (PPP) surveys commissioned by Protect Our Care find that health care may be a decisive issue for voters in the Minnesota battlegrounds of MN-02 and MN-03. Said Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care, in response to the poll findings:

“If I’m Erik Paulsen and Jason Lewis, I’m sweating today because mounting evidence shows that voters know about, care about and fundamentally oppose the health care repeal-and-sabotage record of these Republican incumbents and their relentless attacks on Minnesotans with pre-existing conditions.”  

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in MN-02

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 62% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Minnesotans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. 62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 63% of voters.
• In a preview of the November election, Democrat Angie Craig holds a lead over Republican Jason Lewis, 48-45.

Key Findings from PPP-Protect Our Care Poll in MN-03

• Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 65% say it is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote for.
• Minnesotans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA. Two-thirds (66%) of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for 67% of voters.
• In a preview of the November election, Democrat Dean Phillips holds a lead over Republican Erik Paulsen, 52-39.

The PPP-Protect Our Care Polls Mirror Data from Google Trends Showing that Searches for Health Care Dominate across the State — including in MN-02 and MN-03.

• In MN-03 between 63 percent of all issue searches were on health care; the next highest issue being immigration at 17 percent.
• In MN-02 health care was the top researched issue in every county.

Here’s how the PPP-Protect Our Care polls were covered locally:

MinnPost: Two Major Political Handicappers Find Minnesota’s Third District Slipping out of Erik Paulsen’s Grasp

A new poll conducted by Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling and commissioned by health care advocacy group Protect Our Care also shows Phillips with a sizable advantage over Paulsen. Phillips has a 13-point lead over Paulsen in that poll, notching 52 percent of support over Paulsen’s 39 percent among the 538 respondents in the poll.

The poll, which focused on voter attitudes about health care in CD2 and CD3, also found that 56 percent of those polled had an unfavorable view of Trump, and of GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act — both of which could influence the outcome in those key races.

WCCS Sunday Morning: Angie Craig Joins Esme Murphy In Studio

Esme Murphy, WCCS: One of the things I thought was interesting in that [PPP] poll…is the numbers of people that said health care is their number one concern and also the number of people that actually support the Affordable Care Act.  

Angie Craig, candidate for MN-02: Fifty-one percent of people in my district have a pre-existing condition, so if you’re not willing to stand up when you need to, then you need to stand down and let someone else take your place.