Gallup poll: For first time, majority approve of Obamacare

Former U.S. President Barack Obama, seen alongside Vice President Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on January 20, signed the Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. A Gallup poll shows Obama's signature healthcare has an approval rating of 55 percent from Americans. File Pool photo by J. Scott Applewhite/UPI

April 5 (UPI) — A Gallup poll shows 55 percent of Americans support the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which represents a 13 percent increase from five months ago and the first time a majority of Americans approve of former President Barack Obama‘s signature healthcare law.

The poll comes as Republicans engage in efforts to repeal and replace the ACA. The GOP’s most recent effort — the American Health Care Act — failed in late March after House Speaker Paul Ryan canceled the House vote on the bill when it became clear it would not pass a House vote.

“Republicans, Democrats and independents are all more likely to approve of the ACA now than in November, a few days after Donald Trump‘s victory in the presidential election left Republicans in control of the legislative and executive branches,” Gallup wrote in a statement. “Independents have led the way in this shift toward approval, increasing by 17 percentage points compared with 10-point changes for both Republicans and Democrats.”

When Gallup first asked Americans whether they approved of the ACA in 2012, 48 percent said they approved while 45 percent said they disapproved. The ACA’s lowest approval was in late 2014, when 37 percent approved and 56 percent disapproved.

Though a majority of Americans approve the ACA, 26 percent want to maintain the legislation as it stands. About 40 percent of Americans want to keep the law in place but make significant changes, whereas 30 percent want to repeal and replace the ACA.

Forty-four percent of Democrats want to keep the ACA largely as it is while 47 percent of Democrats want to make significant changes. Sixty percent of Republicans want to repeal and replace the ACA.

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