REUTERS/Mark Makela
US House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
The Republican healthcare plan, both on the House and Senate side, is not getting much support from the American public.Polls have shown the House bill to be among the most unpopular of any major piece of legislation in the last two decades. Those numbers have not improved in the past few weeks with the introduction of the Senate's version of the legislation.
A new poll from Morning Consult and Politico found that many Americans don't think the GOP healthcare push will result in better outcomes for the healthcare system - or for themselves.
Overall, 44% said that the US healthcare system would be worse off under the GOP legislation, while 28% said it would improve.
Forty-five percent of people believed the Republican healthcare plan would increase their personal costs, while only 21% thought it would decrease costs. Republicans have touted the ability of the plan to bring costs down, but it doesn't appear to be resonating with voters.
The Congressional Budget Office said in its analysis of both the House and Senate bills that premiums for people in the individual insurance market would be lower than the current baseline by 2020. But the office also said out-of-pocket costs would increase. Additionally, studies from nonpartisan groups have estimated costs would increase in a variety of ways.
In terms of coverage, 52% of people in the survey said they expect fewer people to have health insurance if the GOP plan becomes law, while 18% said they thought the legislation would increase the number of people covered. The CBO projected 22 million fewer people will be insured in 2026 under the Senate bill compared to the current baseline.
Currently, the legislation is stalled in the Senate as the moderate and conservative wings of the party's Republican conference have been unable to come to a compromise on the bill.