New Poll Finds Fifty-Five Percent of Voters Oppose the GOP and Trump Administration’s Lawsuit To Repeal the ACA and Gut Pre-existing Conditions Protections Ahead of House Vote on Stand-Alone Resolution to Defend ACA by Intervening in the Case
Washington DC — A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) for Protect Our Care shows more than half of voters oppose the recent court decision striking down the Affordable Care Act and are concerned about what the GOP’s Texas v. United States lawsuit would mean for protections for people with pre-existing conditions, prescription drug costs, and young people’s coverage. This poll comes ahead of a vote called by Speaker Pelosi on a stand-alone resolution affirming the House Counsel’s authorization to intervene in the lawsuit and defend the law and all who benefit from it. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement upon the poll’s findings:
“Republicans think they can hide their shameful record on health care, but they can’t. This poll shows danger ahead for Trump and his Republican allies who continue to sabotage health care and put at risk protections for people with pre-existing conditions. This misguided ruling from a conservative judge has dangerous consequences. If not overturned, insurance companies will once again have the power to deny, drop, or charge more for coverage — forcing millions of Americans to pick up the tab. As this poll shows, the more voters learn about the devastating effects of this lawsuit, the more they want Congress to step in and put a check on Republicans’ harmful shenanigans.”
Key Findings from the Protect Our Care PPP poll:
- Sixty-nine percent of voters say it’s a major concern to them that the court case would eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma
- Fifty-five percent say they oppose the recent court decision striking down the Affordable Care Act, compared to just thirty-five percent who say they support the decision
- A plurality of voters, forty-eight percent, say they would be less likely to support their member of Congress if they vote against Congressional action to oppose the lawsuit striking down the Affordable Care Act
- By a 39-point margin, 59-20, voters say it’s a major concern to them that striking down the ACA would allow insurance companies to stop covering any of the costs of prescription drugs
- An overwhelming majority of voters (59 percent) want to see the Affordable Care Act stay in place and think it should be kept with fixes made to it as necessary
- With a 15-point margin, 56-41, voters trust Democrats more on the issue of health care overall
Public Policy Polling surveyed a national sample of 658 registered voters via telephone on behalf of Protect Our Care. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.8%.
BACKGROUND:
Due to Judge O’Connor’s ruling on December 14th, Republicans are one step closer to repealing the Affordable Care Act and eliminating key protections, unleashing — as the Trump Administration itself admitted in his court — “chaos” in our entire health care system. If this ruling is allowed to stand:
- Marketplace tax credits and coverage for 10 million people: GONE.
- Medicaid expansion currently covering 15 million people: GONE.
- Protections for more than 130 million people with pre-existing conditions when they buy coverage on their own: GONE.
- Allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26: GONE.
- Free annual wellness exams: GONE.
- Ban on annual and lifetime limits: GONE.
- Ban on insurance discrimination against women: GONE.
- Contraception with no out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Limit on out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Requirement that insurance companies cover essential benefits like prescription drugs, maternity care, and hospitalization: GONE.
- Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs: GONE.
- Closed Medicare prescription drug donut hole: GONE.
- Rules to hold insurance companies accountable: GONE.
- Small business tax credits: GONE.