Healthcare was a hot topic of debate ahead of this week’s
U.S. presidential election with the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in question.
Speaking to HealthManagement.org before the poll, Robert Wachter, Hospitalist and Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California commented on how the election could impact the ACA.
“The election will be the pivotal event — with the Congressional elections being as important as the presidential,” he said. “The ACA clearly needs tweaks, and — if there's a democratic president and Congress, those tweaks are more likely. If it is split, then the question will be whether the Republican response to the election results leads to a willingness to negotiate, or a continued hard line on the ACA.”
Frontrunners Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton has proposed universal Medicaid expansion while Republican Donald Trump has pledged to repeal the ACA.
Meanwhile, a Gallup report covering aspects of American public opinion on healthcare has indicated that the public is generally content
with their own healthcare saying most “do not perceive that healthcare is in a
crisis”. But they are not so positive about the ACA.
See Also: Crucial Training for ACA
“Americans are leery of federal involvement in running healthcare but don't reject the idea of a single-payer healthcare system. Most Americans do not perceive that healthcare is in a crisis, although it is an important issue to most,” a statement on the poll said.
Over the last 15 years, Americans have rated the standard of their healthcare as good or excellent. Gallup also found the following:
- About two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) rate their healthcare coverage as excellent or good.
- Fifty-seven percent say they are satisfied with their healthcare cost. There has not been much change since the introduction of the ACA.
- Sixty-seven percent of Americans say they are pleased with the healthcare system.
When it comes to rating national healthcare, Americans are less enthusiastic. In a November 2015 poll on this topic, just 53 percent rate the overall quality of the nation's healthcare as "excellent" or "good".
Source: Gallup.com
Image Credit: Patient Success Management
