The Supreme Court’s Ruling Has Little Effect on Public Opinion

The Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the constitutionality of the individual mandate has had little effect on public opinion. About 60% have an unfavorable view of the mandate whether it is described as tax or a fine. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) tracking poll also reveals confusion over who will be subject to the tax penalty under the mandate. One in five Americans believes they will have to pay a penalty in 2014 while experts say the share will be considerably smaller.

Two in three Americans support expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The Court’s decision to give states the option to decide whether to expand Medicaid has created a new arena for ACA controversy and partisan disagreement, according to KFF. Forty-nine percent support expanding Medicaid in their own state while 43% prefer the status quo. As with most ACA-related controversies, the public splits sharply along partisan lines on whether their state should expand Medicaid, with 75% of Democrats favoring it and 66% of Republicans opposed.

About 40% say they could still change their minds on the law. A slightly larger share than last month say they would back the law’s repeal. Just over half of Americans who were polled say they are tired of hearing lawmakers debate the health care law while 44% say it is important to continue the debate over the law’s future. For more information, visit www.kff.org.