Democrats and Republicans agree that people with pre-existing conditions should be federally protected

As Republicans rally their ranks for a potential second go at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, their voters break with one major provision in the redrafted bill: allowing states to opt out of requiring insurers to cover customers with pre-existing conditions. Requiring federal protections for people with pre-existing conditions is a provision that is mostly approved of between Democrats and Republicans, a new Politico/Morning Consult poll finds, with only 38 percent of voters saying states should individually be able to opt out of those protections.

"Fifty-two percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Republicans oppose allowing states to opt out of requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions," explained Morning Consult's chief research officer, Kyle Dropp. "In this polarized political climate, this is one issue where Democrats and Republicans largely agree."

Even President Trump has taken issue with the opt-out option in his party's bill, telling Bloomberg on Monday: "I want it to be good for sick people. It's not in its final form right now. It will be every bit as good on pre-existing conditions as ObamaCare."

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Overall, most voters want federal standards for their health insurance. Forty-six percent said the government should have overarching standards for the minimum coverage an insurer must provide, with 38 percent saying the decision should be made on a state-by-state basis.

The poll, conducted April 27-30, reached 1,998 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percent.