Poll finds support for ObamaCare growing with the threat of repeal

The American people are warming up to the Affordable Care Act even as Republicans move to repeal and replace the program, a new Politico/Morning Consult poll shows. In January, before President Trump took office, just 41 percent of voters approved of ObamaCare, compared with 52 percent who disapproved. Now that divide is evenly split: 45 percent of voters approve of the law, and 45 percent disapprove.

"As the threat of the Affordable Care Act's repeal has moved from notional to concrete, our weekly polling has shown an uptick in the law's popularity, and fewer voters support repealing the law," noted Morning Consult's co-founder, Kyle Dropp.

Of nine ObamaCare provisions, most voters only want to repeal the individual mandate that Americans buy health insurance, rather than keep it. On the other hand, two-thirds of voters want to keep laws prohibiting insurance companies from denying patients with pre-existing conditions, and another 63 percent believe people under 26 should stay on their parents' plans.

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Even parts of the law opposed by many Republicans, such as requiring businesses with more than 50 full-time employees to provide health care, are favored by voters: 59 percent of people said they want to keep the requirement.

The poll reached 2,013 registered voters between Feb. 16 and 19, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent. See the full results here.