Healthcare Matters

The Supreme Court continues to deliberate, as do most of the rest of us.  News sources conduct polls that continue to reflect strong opposition to the law.  Here’s a roundup:

The New York Times’ The Caucus: New Poll: The Supreme Court And The Health Care Law

More than two-thirds of Americans hope the Supreme Court will overturn some or all of the 2010 health care law, according to a new poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News. Just 24 percent said they hoped the court “would keep the entire health care law in place” (Liptak and Kopicki, 6/7).

National Journal: Poll: Most Americans Want All Or Part Of Health Law Overturned

The poll, conducted by the New York Times and CBS News, reveals that more respondents disapprove of the law than approve, 48 percent to 34 percent. That marks only a one-percentage-point uptick in those who disapprove of the law since the last poll was conducted, in mid-April, but a five-percentage-point drop in those who approve. The percentage of people saying they want the court to throw out the entire law rose four points, from 37 percent to 41 percent, since the last CBS News/New York Times poll was conducted. About a quarter in the new poll – 24 percent — said they want the whole law upheld. The court heard arguments on the law in March and a ruling is expected this month (Jaffe, 6/8).

The Hill: Poll Finds Strong Support For High Court To Strike Down Health Law, Mandate

Nearly seven in 10 Americans hope the Supreme Court will decide against all or part of President Obama’s healthcare reform law, according to a new poll. The finding comes as the country braces for the court’s decision. A ruling is expected by the end of June. The New York Times and CBS News found that 41 percent of those surveyed want the entire law overturned while 27 percent want its key provision — the individual mandate to buy health insurance — struck down (Viebeck, 6/7).

San Francisco Chronicle: Nancy Pelosi Concedes Health Care Law Unpopular

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that people are not aware of the many benefits they are receiving from health care law they stand to lose if the Supreme Court rejects the law in a decision expected this month.The San Francisco Democrat was a chief architect of the 2010 law known as Obamacare, and as House Speaker at the time, perhaps more instrumental than anyone, even President Obama, in its enactment.The Democratic strategy was to front load the law’s popular parts, such as allowing children up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ policies, while backloading its unpopular parts, chiefly the mandate on individuals to purchase insurance (Lochhead, 6/7).

Thanks to the Kaiser Health News for its sourcing support.

—Tom Finn