After the Senate approved
a budget resolution process on Jan. 12, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began chugging ahead, but many Americans are seeking a more cautious approach.
A
new poll from Kaiser Family Foundation found that most Americans -- about 75% -- either want a replacement plan in place before repeal moves forward or don't favor a repeal at all.
While most Americans seek a practical approach -- one in which the potential chaos of a repeal-without-replacement maneuver doesn't come into play -- overall the public is divided in equal parts on whether the ACA should be cast aside. About 48% favor repeal, and 47% don't.
Those numbers are generally in line with public opinion in 2010, the year the law was enacted, notes Kaiser.
The poll also captured the importance that respondents placed on specific elements of the current health care arena. When asked what the "top priority" should be for the new Congress and incoming administration, 67% said the focus should be on lowering costs. The second priority, according to 61% of respondents, should be lowering the costs of prescription drugs. Another 45% want the government to address the opioid epidemic.
Fourth on the list is repealing the ACA, which gained about 37% of the vote as the leading priority.
Access the full survey and results on the
Kaiser website. Stay tuned to
Part B News for additional updates.