Among the 26% of the public who said they have an unfavorable impression, the most commonly cited complaint is that the benefit doesn’t do enough to help seniors with drug costs (67%). Fewer people cite the costs of the program to the government as a reason for their unfavorable impression (33%).

Seniors cite slightly different reasons for having an unfavorable impression of the new law. Seniors are more likely than younger adults to say that the new plan will benefit private health plans and pharmaceutical companies (67% versus 51% of adults under 65), and that the benefit will cost the government too much in the long run (47% versus 29%).