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Poll: 46 percent of Americans could still change their mind about Obamacare

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Michael Bastasch DCNF Managing Editor
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Despite the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, a new poll shows that 46 percent of Americans admit they can still be persuaded to change their opinion of the law.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, twenty-six percent said they have an opinion on the law but could be persuaded otherwise, and 20 percent said they hadn’t yet decided how they feel about the law.

Those most likely to change their minds are those who support the health care law. Thirty-six percent of the law’s supporters admitted that there’s a chance someone could change their opinion of the law.

Only 19 percent of opponents said that they were open to changing their minds about the law.

The public at large still remains sharply divided, with 46 percent saying they want the law repealed and 45 percent saying they want to keep the law or expand it.

Despite opposition to the law, Republicans are not of the hook on health care reform as half of those who support repeal want to see the law replaced with a Republican alternative. The other half simply wants to return to the way things were before the Affordable Care Act.

The political tactics used to repeal the law also matter to the public, as Kaiser notes that, “a narrow majority of the public continues to oppose the idea of cutting off the law’s funding as a way to stop it from being implemented.”

“Fifty‐six percent disapprove of this strategy, while 35 percent approve. As is the case on most things related to the ACA, partisan differences persist,” the poll continues. “Eighty‐three percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents disapprove of stopping the law by cutting off its funding, while 62 percent of Republicans approve of this idea.”

Yet, the poll also found that most Americans — 54 percent — are “tired of hearing lawmakers debate the health care law and would like them to move on to other issues.” Forty-four percent still believe it’s important to debate over the future of the law.

56 percent of independents, a key demographic of voters, say they would prefer to move on while only 43 percent say they think it is important to continue with the debate.

Kaiser adds that, “This may in part be driven by the public’s cynicism regarding lawmakers’ intentions: majorities say both opponents and proponents are speaking out on the law more for political reasons than because they want to do the right thing for the nation.”

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