Tennesseans may not like the cost and mandates of the Affordable Care Act, but a new survey shows most don’t want the entire law scrapped without some replacement features in place.
A statewide survey conducted last week of 840 Tennesseans found that 57 percent of Tennessee respondents want Congress “to keep what works in the Affordable Care Act and fix what doesn’t,” compared with only 37 percent of Tennesseans who said they want the so-called Obamacare law repealed and for leaders to start over with a new healthcare law.
The random survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling for the Alliance for Healthcare Security, a group that supports the Affordable Care Act. The survey found majority support for many Affordable Care Act features, including protections against denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, paying for routine checkups and providing tax subsidies for low-income workers to buy insurance.
Nearly two thirds of the Tennesseans surveyed said they are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about repealing Obamacare without anything to replace it.
“Even in a red state like Tennessee, there seems to be an overwhelming sentiment that folks don’t want to go back to the days when insurers could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or having so many people without health insurance,” said Jim Williams, a polling analyst for Public Policy Polling.