KFF March Health Tracking Poll: One Year Later, Views on Health Reform Remain Divided

Health reform is a year old and the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds a basic division that has changed little during the last 12 months. This month, 42 percent of Americans hold favorable views of the law while 46 percent view it unfavorably. In April 2010, the month after passage, 46 percent had favorable views and 40 percent unfavorable ones, but both figures have ticked up and down over the last year. Opinion of the law continues to break sharply along partisan lines, with 71 percent of Democrats backing the law and 82 percent of Republicans opposing it.

About half (51%) of Americans who like the law cite expanded access to insurance and health care as the reason. Those who do not like it give a greater variety reasons: 20 percent are concerned about costs; 19 percent have concerns about government’s role; and 18 percent mention opposition to the individual mandate.