Americans’ ratings of healthcare coverage in the U.S. have generally held steady, despite the opening of the healthcare exchanges in 2013 and the decline in the uninsured rate this year. Thirty-eight percent of Americans now rate healthcare coverage in the U.S. as “excellent” or “good,” within the range of the […] Read more »
Don’t elect the messenger
Democrats’ economic agenda fared far better than Democratic candidates on Election Day. Minimum wage increases garnered big majorities in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota as voters were pummeling Democratic Senate candidates in those same states. Of course, candidates are much more than a bundle of issue positions, but understanding […] Read more »
As New Enrollment Period Starts, ACA Approval at 37%
As the Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment period begins, 37% of Americans say they approve of the law, one percentage point below the previous low in January. Fifty-six percent disapprove, the high in disapproval by one point. CONT. Justin McCarthy, Gallup Read more »
Ebola Ranks Among Americans’ Top Three Healthcare Concerns
Healthcare costs (19%) and access (18%) continue to rank among the leading issues Americans cite when asked what they consider to be the country’s “most urgent health problem.” But Ebola, mentioned by 17%, now joins these perennial concerns as one of Americans’ top health worries. CONT. Lydia Saad, Gallup Read more »
You win elections to enact policy, not the other way around
… The Beltway media approach to winning elections is to regard winning elections as the key step that helps you win more elections. … Ultimately, though, the point of winning elections is to pass legislation that helps the most people, at the least harm, and at a reasonable cost. Majorities […] Read more »
Health Care and the Obama Presidency: A Giant Squander?
There’s no doubt that, as midterms go, President Obama has not fared well. … The successive Republican waves are particularly devastating because they swept away what many pundits believed to be a coming period of Democratic electoral dominance. … Where did it all go wrong? CONT. Matthew Dickinson, Middlebury College Read more »