Why do so many Americans oppose the Affordable Care Act?

The American Journal of Medicine
James E DalenJoseph S Alpert

Abstract

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by a Democratic president in 2010. Republican congressmen, governors, and Republican candidates have consistently opposed the ACA and have vowed to repeal it. Polls have consistently shown that it is supported by <50% of Americans. The most important goal of the ACA is to improve the health of Americans by increasing the number covered by health insurance. In the first year of its implementation, more than 10 million citizens gained health insurance. The percentage of Americans without health insurance decreased from 18% in July 2013 to 13.4% in June 2014. In addition, the ACA has eliminated many of the negative features of private insurance such as the denial of coverage for those with "prior conditions." The benefits of Medicare have been enhanced to decrease the cost of prescription drugs and to eliminate co-pays for preventive services. Despite these positive changes, a near majority of Americans still oppose the ACA, even though they approve of most of its features. They oppose the mandate that all Americans must have health insurance (the individual mandate), and they oppose a government role in health care. Yet Me...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 2008·The American Journal of Medicine·James E Dalen, Joseph S Alpert
Sep 24, 2008·American Journal of Public Health·Rep John Conyers
Nov 11, 2008·Health Affairs·Gerard F Anderson, Bianca K Frogner
Sep 19, 2009·American Journal of Public Health·Andrew P WilperDavid U Himmelstein
Jun 21, 2011·The American Journal of Medicine·James E Dalen
Oct 12, 2012·The New England Journal of Medicine·Robert J BlendonAmanda Brulé
Sep 13, 2013·The New England Journal of Medicine·Robert J Blendon, John M Benson
Oct 30, 2014·The New England Journal of Medicine·Robert J Blendon, John M Benson

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Citations

Jan 21, 2016·Annual Review of Public Health·Kevin Fiscella, Mechelle R Sanders
Apr 30, 2016·The American Journal of Medicine·Kevin Fiscella
Apr 30, 2016·The American Journal of Medicine·James E Dalen
Apr 27, 2017·Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·Paul R GordonJames E Dalen
Jan 26, 2018·The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery·Michelle G HamelJay J Doucet
Sep 4, 2019·Health Affairs·Lindsay RiordanJon Tilburt
May 28, 2017·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Matthew A DavisHelen Levy

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