Poll shows broad support for reinstating enhanced ACA subsidies

Poll shows broad support for reinstating enhanced ACA subsidies

With the midterm elections almost a week away, a new poll shows broad support across the political spectrum for reinstating the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that congressional Republicans allowed to expire.

According to the survey from Florida-based pollster Inquire shared first with The Hill, 76 percent of respondents said they support restoring the enhanced subsidies, including 60 percent of Republicans.

Most GOP members of Congress opposed extending enhanced ACA subsidies last year, with many citing fraud.

Democrats shut down the government for a record 45 days last year but failed to get an extension of the enhanced credits in return for their support on voting to reopen the government.

Instead, Republicans promised to give them a vote on a bill of their choosing to extend the subsidies. The vote failed, and the subsidies expired at the start of this year.

As a result, health insurance expenses for thousands of ACA enrollees spiked . Most people remained eligible for some subsidies, but primarily middle-class enrollees who earned too much for base-level subsidies were shut out.

The poll is yet another warning sign for Republicans who worry that the high cost of healthcare is one of the party’s greatest liabilities. In key battleground states, Democrats are hammering their opponents for voting to cut Medicaid and for allowing the enhanced subsidies to expire, driving up premium costs.

According to the poll, 57 percent of voters said they are more likely to back a congressional candidate who supports extending the credits , and 56 percent said they are less likely to back one who let them expire.

Democrats are campaigning on restoring the subsidies as one of the first priorities they will tackle should they win control of either chamber of Congress , though it will be an uphill fight with President Trump in the White House regardless.

Voters also said they blame Republicans over Democrats for letting the enhanced subsidies expire, by a 53 percent to 26 percent margin. While a majority of Republicans blamed Democrats, 19 percent blamed their own party .

The survey of 1,023 people was conducted from Oct. 17-21, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

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