Site last updated: Thursday, August 13, 2026

Log In

Reset Password
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Poll says 1 in 4 wants repeal of health law

Some provisions are supported

WASHINGTON — About 1 in 4 people in the United States wants President-elect Donald Trump to entirely repeal his predecessor’s health care law that extended coverage to millions, according to a poll.

The post-election survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation also found hints of a pragmatic shift among some Republican foes of President Barack Obama’s law.

While 52 percent of Republicans say they want the law completely repealed, that share is down from 69 percent just last month, before the election. More Republicans now say they want the law “scaled back,” with that share more than doubling from 11 percent before the Nov. 8 election to 24 percent after.

Kaiser CEO Drew Altman said the foundation’s polling experts aren’t quite sure what to make of that finding. The organization is a clearinghouse for information and analysis about the health care system.

Trump called the Affordable Care Act a “disaster” during an election campaign that saw big premium increases announced recently. After the vote, Trump has been saying he’d like to keep parts of the law.

No changes are expected next year for the more than 10 million people currently covered through HealthCare.gov and state markets that offer subsidized private insurance. An additional estimated 9 million low-income people covered by Medicaid in states that expanded the program are also safe for now.

HealthCare.gov sign-ups are running a little higher than last year — 2.1 million through last Saturday, as compared with about 2 million. But the share of new customers is down, 24 percent this year versus 35 percent last year at about the same time. The markets need an influx of younger, healthier consumers to help keep premiums in check.

On Capitol Hill, Republican leaders want to quickly repeal the law before an interlude and segue to a replacement. That approach carries political risk because the replacement legislation could bog down and there’s no guarantee of success. The uncertainty could disrupt coverage for millions by destabilizing fragile insurance markets.

Forty-two percent of those who want the 2010 law repealed said lawmakers should wait until they figure out the details of a replacement plan before doing so. Overall, 30 percent said the new president and Congress should expand the law, and 19 percent said it should be implemented as is. Twenty-six percent said the law should be entirely repealed, and 17 percent called for it to be scaled back.

The poll found majorities across party lines support many of the health care law’s provisions, but not its requirement that individuals have coverage or risk fines, and its mandate that medium-to-large employers pay fines if they don’t offer health insurance. Among the provisions with support across party lines:

- allowing young adults to stay on a parent’s insurance until age 26.

- no copayments for many preventive services.

- closing the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the “doughnut hole.”

- financial help for low- and moderate-income people to pay their insurance premiums.

- a state option to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income adults.

- barring insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person’s medical history.

- increased Medicare payroll taxes for upper-income earners.

More in National News

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS