As Congress grapples with how to handle expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, Americans’ approval of Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health care law is hitting a new high.
Fifty-seven percent of US adults approve of the ACA, according to new polling from Gallup and West Health, three points higher than last year’s reading and a record high since Gallup started asking the question in 2012.
The poll, conducted in November, spanned the government shutdown, during which Democrats tried to draw attention to the expiring subsidies. Independents — 63% of whom approve of the law — drove the uptick in approval.
Gallup also found that 73% of Americans believe the federal government should give funding to hospitals to cover medical costs for people without insurance, but support drops to 33% for covering all patients, including those living in the country illegally.