Blitz Bureau
WASHINGTON: The majority of US adults say it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure all Americans have healthcare coverage, according to a new survey from Gallup, reports usnews.com.
The survey comes on the heels of the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO that sparked an ongoing manhunt for the suspected shooter and a larger conversation about the difficulties of dealing with the healthcare system in the US.
Conducted last month, before the fatal shooting of Thompson last week, the survey found that the percentage of Americans who believe it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage increased from 59 per cent last year to 62 per cent.
The poll also found that Americans’ view of the quality of healthcare in the US declined to a 24-year low. That’s, perhaps, not surprising given the recent outpouring of personal stories online detailing terrible experiences with the healthcare system in the US following the shooting.
But the survey, said the news portal report, also could spell trouble for President-elect Donald Trump, who said during the September presidential debate that he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Trump reiterated that sentiment on NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’.
“Obamacare stinks,” he said, and added, “If we come up with a better answer, I would present that answer to Democrats and to everybody else, and I’d do something about it.”
However, the poll found that approval of the ACA, which provides health insurance coverage for more than 20 million Americans, is near an all-time high at 54 per cent. “Trump’s plans for healthcare in his second administration are unclear, but making a second attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act could be a daunting task,” Gallup Senior Editor Jeffrey Jones wrote in a post.
“Public support for the law is as high today as in Trump’s first term. At the same time, Americans are even more likely today to agree with the driving principle behind the ACA – that Government should ensure all Americans have coverage,” he wrote. Jones added that Trump’s “lack of a firm plan for healthcare suggests the issue may not be a high priority for him in contrast to issues such as immigration and trade that he made more specific policy proposals about during the campaign.”
