Originally published March 3 2014
Uninsured Americans suddenly realize they were conned by Obamacare
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) The Affordable Care Act - Obamacare - has always had its opponents, but as more Americans become familiar with the law and begin to experience its ill effects, the more it is hated.
And now, in perhaps one of the most compelling ironies, the very people whom the law was supposed to benefit the most - the uninsured - are beginning to turn against Obamacare in droves.
According to a recently released study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which has been studying and analyzing the various provisions of Obamacare for years, uninsured Americans reject the law by a stunning margin:
Uninsured Americans - the people that the Affordable Care Act was designed to most aid - are increasingly critical of the law as its key provisions kick in, a poll released Thursday finds.
This month's tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 47 percent of the uninsured said they hold unfavorable views of the law while 24 percent said they liked it. These negative views have increased since December, when 43 percent of the uninsured panned the law and 36 percent liked it.
In short, America's uninsured are rejecting Obamacare by a margin of 2:1.
As more Americans experience Obamacare, more will hate it
Kaiser reported that its media-wing survey did not zero in on the exact reasons for the drop in popularity, "which comes in the first month that people could start using insurance purchased through the online marketplaces that are at the heart of the law."
However, the survey did note that more than half of the people who did not otherwise have health insurance prior to Obamacare said the law so far has not made a difference to them or their families. Also, pollsters indicated that nearly half of those without coverage were not aware that the law includes taxpayer subsidies to offset premium costs for those with low-to-moderate incomes (these subsidies are going to wind up costing more than originally thought as well, but that's another story).
Overall, sentiment among Americans was very negative; half of those surveyed hold a dim view of the law, while just 34 percent said they supported it. Oddly though, only 38 percent said they wanted the law repealed.
That could be due to this next piece of data: Most Americans surveyed said they have so far not been personally affected by Obamacare, but those who have report more negative than positive; 27 percent said their experience has been negative compared to just 15 percent who say it has been positive. Those with negative views - unsurprisingly - said they stem mostly from having to pay higher premiums and from the generally high cost of care.
More from Kaiser:
The pollsters surmised these views did not reflect actual experiences with the new marketplaces that began operation on Jan. 1, because only a small portion of those eligible has enrolled in them so far. The poll also noted that twice as many people said they had seen news stories about people being harmed by the law as had seen stories about people being helped.
Perhaps that's because the harm has far outweighed the good?
See what Obamacare is doing to real people every day
Now, it's possible that polling figures regarding the law will improve as more Americans experience it. But it's also possible that, due to trends we are already seeing - higher premiums, much higher deductibles, loss of physicians in certain networks, less access to clinics and longer waits to see your doctor - these figures will worsen as well.
As John Sexton over at Breitbart News writes:
Two points about this. First, as noted above, Kaiser has been polling on the law's popularity since 2010. Obviously none of the people polled back when the law was more popular had any experience with the law either. The poll itself was always a popularity contest based on public perception. If anything the current response is at least based on some real elements of the law which have been in the news (the failed website, rate shock, etc.) rather than the sometimes empty political promises about what the law will be.
Second, while it's possible that one day Americans will warm to the law that day may not be right around the corner.
Finally, there is this: If you want to see real-life reactions when ordinary Americans are told how much their plans will change (the cost especially), then just watch this video: YouTube.com.
Real Americans, with real families, are getting hit with real increases that they simply don't know how they're going to be able to afford.
Thank President Obama and Democrats, all of whom won't have a problem affording their coverage (because they make far-above-average salaries and because their coverage is subsidized 75 percent by taxpayers).
Sources:
http://www.breitbart.com
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org
http://www.youtube.com
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