Poll: Fix, don't unravel, Obamacare

The American public would rather see Congress fix Obamacare than allow it to unravel if the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in King v. Burwell tears apart the law, a new poll finds.

The survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds 64 percent of Americans believe that, if the law is dismantled by the Supreme Court, Congress should act to allow people in states without their own exchanges to continue to receive federal subsidies. This includes 40 percent of Republicans surveyed and a firm majority of Democrats and independents.


Only 27 percent of respondents said Congress should not act if the Supreme Court effectively dismantles the Affordable Care Act’s federally run exchanges.

Arguments for King v. Burwell are scheduled to begin in March. The case hinges on whether language in the Affordable Care Act specifically allows the federal government to run subsidized marketplaces in states that have refused to set up their own. Many liberals have argued the case relies on a technicality that harps on one poorly worded line.

The poll also found that, should the Supreme Court strike down the federally run exchanges, 59 percent of respondents in states without their own exchanges believe their states should create their own marketplaces. Only 29 percent of respondents would not favor a state-run marketplace.

Public opinion about for the Affordable Care Act in general has remained relatively stable, the survey found, with 46 percent viewing it unfavorably and 40 percent favorably.

The survey included interviews in English and Spanish, polling 1,503 adults Jan. 15-21, including nearly equal numbers of landlines and cellphones. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.