Gallup asked 1,549 Americans what they thought of various health-care proposals. The proposals were not identified with the three major candidates left in the race (Sanders, Clinton and Trump).
Presented with three separate scenarios for the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 58% of U.S. adults favor the idea of replacing the law with a federally funded healthcare system that provides insurance for all Americans. At the same time, Americans are split on the idea of maintaining the ACA as it is, with 48% in favor and 49% opposed. The slight majority, 51%, favor repealing the act.
Bernie’s “Medicare for All” plan was, by far, the one preferred by most respondents. 58% believe the US should have the same system most other industrialized nations have managed to implement, only 37% are opposed.
Over May 6-8, Gallup asked this question:
Please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose each of the following.
|
Favor%
|
Oppose%
|
No opinion%
|
Replacing the ACA with a federally funded healthcare program providing insurance for all Americans |
58 |
37 |
5 |
Repealing the Affordable Care Act |
51 |
45 |
3 |
Keeping the Affordable Care Act in place |
48 |
49 |
2 |
The 58% support is 4% higher than it was back in 2007.
Bernie Sanders calls for replacing the ACA with a single-payer, federally administered system that he calls "Medicare for All." Donald Trump has said he would repeal the ACA, and Hillary Clinton generally says she would keep the ACA in place. Americans were asked in the survey to react to each of these proposals separately, and there was no mention of the candidates in the question wording.
Historically, survey responses on health care have moved around a bit depending on the political environment, the state of the economy and how the question was posed. But support for a government run system has been rising throughout this campaign season. It stood at 35% in November 2014 and had risen to 41% by November 2015.
h/t @Billmon1 who is sadly no longer with us on DKos, but lives on in the land of tweets.
— @subirgrewal