Poll: Many Americans uninformed about health care overhaul, some don't know it's law

[IDemo]

Source: NBC News

As the Obama administration girds for “glitches and bumps” along the path to full implementation of the health-care law, a new poll indicates many Americans are still unclear about the details of the new law and, in some cases, unaware it’s actually law of the land.

A whopping 42 percent of Americans do not know that the Affordable Care Act is, in fact, law. Included in that 42 percent -- 12 percent believe it has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent think the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it, and 23 percent are unsure of its status, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking poll.

For the record, no portion of the law has been repealed; and the Supreme Court upheld it last summer in a 5-4 decision. The law continues to be viewed more negatively than positively, with just 35 percent saying they have a favorable view and 40 percent saying they have an unfavorable one. But the prolonged implementation, complexity of the law, and messaging by opponents has aided in the confusion. The administration is starting to push back, beginning with the president.

“It’s still a big undertaking,” President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday in a press conference at the White House. "And what we’re doing is making sure that every single day we are constantly trying to hit our marks so that it will be in place. ... Even if we do everything perfectly, there will still be glitches and bumps. ... And that’s pretty much true of every government program that’s ever been set up."

Read more: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/30/17988277-poll-many-americans-uninformed-about-health-care-overhaul-some-dont-know-its-law?lite

[obama2terms]

1. The Obama administration needs to be able

to convey the law concisely. This is a new thing in this country, so they have to do a better job of informing people if they want the law to be a success. Think of it as campaigning lol.

[MaineLinePhilly]

2. Gee what a surprise

Americans being misinformed about something is as surprising as finding out water is wet. Most people get their news from opinion heads on right wing and left wing cable and radio instead of reading scholarly and non political sources. In addition, most people know nothing about policy analysis.

[xtraxritical]

9. MSNBC tells it like it is. If you can not discern this you should not be in DU.

[Hekate]

3. OMG. Romneycare was launched with an advertising program -- why not Obamacare?

Why is there not an educational campaign to inform people of what is in it for them and their kids?

[BumRushDaShow]

5. They DO have one

http://www.healthcare.gov/

The problem is that each of their "ads" would need to be tailored to cover what would be expected in EACH of the *50* states and the territories, and how it will be implemented in those areas (i.e., consumers are told what to expect if the implementation will be state-run, state-fed partnership-run, or fed-run)... and that is still being worked out. An example is that Vermont was the 1st to establish their exchange and post the rates. So I expect that they have gotten started with advertising in THAT state.

A tiny state like MA does not = the whole U.S., with 50+ different state and territory implementations.

And please don't say that this should have been "single-payer" because jackasses like Baucus, Landrieu, Lincoln, and LIEberman blocked it.

[Hekate]

13. 50 states ... so many idiot politicians ...

And please don't say that this should have been "single-payer" --- Oh, I know that single-payer was not going to happen. Lack of single-payer is not something I blame Obama for -- that honor goes to the GOP, the same people that buried Hillary Clinton's efforts so deep I thought we might never see either her or the Clinton plans again.

[quadrature]

4. lots of people think that Obamacare is free ...

and/or they are already enrolled.

would you want to be the person
that tells them they have to find an insurance company and likely pay 500 a month?
no thanks.

[Javaman]

6. I now will introduce you to the new round of suckers to be duped by the health care industry...

"A whopping 42 percent of Americans do not know that the Affordable Care Act is, in fact, law. Included in that 42 percent -- 12 percent believe it has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent think the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it, and 23 percent are unsure of its status,"

These are the ignorant lot that will be swindled by various fly by night healthcare scams that will no doubt pop up.

[Blue_Tires]

12. Our local congresscritter (and probably many others)

got swept into office in 2010 because he SWORE up and down in all his commercials and ads that he would "Get Obamacare Ruled Unconstitutional" and the voters, not knowing how congress works, lapped it up...

Of course since he has been in office, I don't think he's even uttered the word "obamacare" and no one has asked any questions...

[Javaman]

14. hucksters and snake oil salesmen = tea bagger candidates.

they road in on a "wave" of willful ignorance powered by propaganda under the guise of political promises as someone from "outside the beltway" who had no other talent other than being a convincing liar.

[Blue_Tires]

15. lol

did I forget to mention this guy owns a car dealership? Fits him to a 'T'

[judesedit]

7. They're 2 busy listening to FAUX Noise Go to healthcare.gov,understanding the law,timeline if u care

See what's in it for you and your family. I'd say plenty. But we still need more. Vote 2014. Get the bums outta there so we can get something done.

[Capt. Obvious]

8. Just the people Newsmax has been trying to scam with their radio/internet ads

They're selling a book to help people "understand" Obamacare.

[Fumesucker]

10. Hell, it's only a couple of thousand plus pages of dense legalese

What's so difficult about understanding that?

[Butterbean]

11. I took care of a patient recently whose spouse didn't know about FMLA.

Had no idea it was federal law, who could take it, etc.. I had to explain it all to them. So this doesn't surprise me. Hell, I'm a nurse and I'm still so fuzzy on the details of this whole thing that I have no clue what's going on. I can't keep it all straight.