(The Hill) — More Americans approve of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than at any point since it took effect more than a decade ago, according to a new Gallup survey.
In the survey, released Monday, 57 percent of respondents approve, and 35 percent of respondents disapprove of the landmark legislation, which, the survey notes, was “signed into law by President Obama” and “restructured the U.S. healthcare system.”
The net 22 approval marks an increase from November of last year, when 54 percent approved of the legislation and 38 percent disapproved. That approval rating was similar to previous peaks recorded in April 2017 and November 2020, when 55 percent supported the legislation.
While the legislation has hovered around 50 percent approval since 2017, Obamacare was generally less popular before that point, ranging from 37 percent to 48 percent approval.
The latest uptick is driven by a rise in support from independents, 63 percent of whom now approve of the legislation, up from 53 percent last November.
Among Democrats and Republicans, support declined slightly from last year, with 91 percent of Democrats supporting the legislation, down from 94 percent; and 15 percent of Republicans supporting ObamaCare, down from 19 percent.
The latest survey was conducted in November amid the longest government shutdown in history. Democrats insisted on extending the enhanced ACA subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t take action, bringing the issue to the forefront of the national political dialogue. The shutdown ended when Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised to hold a vote on extending the subsidies. The vote is expected to happen this week, but it is not likely to succeed.
Meanwhile, in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to introduce his own leadership-endorsed health care plan, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a moderate whose district voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, has vowed to introduce a bipartisan blueprint that he views as the best shot of becoming law.
The Gallup survey was conducted on Nov. 3-25 with 1,321 adults. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.