Three studies released last month by Gallup, the Commonwealth Fund and the Urban Institute all showed significant declines in the uninsured rate in the wake the exchanges’ launch, according to the Journal. The Commonwealth Fund, for instance, found the uninsured rate for those ages 19 to 64 fell from 20 percent in the third quarter of 2013 to 15 percent in the second quarter of 2014. And yet, after remaining steady for several months, the July Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found the share of the public with an unfavorable view of the PPACA rose to 53 percent.
Mr. Altman theorizes the sharp partisan divide over the PPACA and the approaching midterm elections explain this disconnect between performance and public opinion. “Each side knows it can’t convince the other to change its views of the health-care law. So each plays to its base; especially Republicans, whose core voters feel most strongly about the law,” he writes.
Additionally, the American public’s view of the PPACA serves as a proxy for their feelings about the president and the country’s direction, according to Mr. Altman. Overall, he writes, “The [PPACA’s] role as a focal point for partisan and ideological differences in politics today explains how the [PPACA] can be doing better but for many people feeling worse at the same time.”
More articles on the PPACA:
Thousands must prove PPACA plan eligibility or lose coverage
S&P: PPACA temporarily helps top line for some hospitals, insurers
Providers consider an uncertain market: Will accepting PPACA exchange plans hurt academic medical centers?
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