A majority of likely voters in five key battleground states – Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia – believe the Affordable Care Act is here to stay (64%) and want Congress to work to improve the law (71%) rather than repeal it.
The survey found that 55% of these voters said they prefer a candidate who will work to improve the law, while 40% favor one who would repeal it. About 58% wanted legislators to “stop wasting time” trying to repeal the law and instead focus on ways to lower the cost of health care.
The poll was conducted in mid-September, reaching 1,005 adults who said they were likely to vote in the 2016 elections and who voted in the 2012 or 2008 elections. It was funded by Community Catalyst, a healthcare advocacy group, and the Service Employees International Union. The margin of error is about three percentage points.
“Voters are tired and frustrated with repeated efforts to repeal the ACA,” said Robert Restuccia, executive director of Community Catalyst. “They believe the law is here to stay and that we need to move forward with efforts to improve it.”
Strong majorities of respondents across party lines support measures aimed at reducing health care costs.
Requiring hospitals and other healthcare providers to make it easier for consumers to understand the cost of services before they use them was supported by 91%. Almost equal numbers supported giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, with 88% expressing approval.
Similarly, 87% supported paying doctors and hospitals based on their success at keeping people healthy rather than for the number of tests and procedures they provide.
Voters were also asked their views about expanding Medicaid in their states. A large majority of likely voters said Florida (72%) and Virginia (74%) should accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid coverage for their residence. Likely voters in Nevada (83%), Ohio (81%), and Pennsylvania (80%) supported their states’ decisions to expand Medicaid.