Though the public still continues to debate over the benefits of the new mandate that will require all Americans to have health insurance, a new CNN/ORC International Poll has suggested that the support for this central element to the 2010 healthcare reform legislation has been increasing since June 2011.
The results of this survey were released just as the Supreme Court has taken on the decision of whether or not the massive healthcare system changes by President Barack Obama, which was passed by a Democratic Congress, is indeed constitutional.
It is expected that the oral arguments will begin as early as the end of February, but certainly by march. A ruling will have been made in June, which will also make healthcare a central political issue in the upcoming presidential election year.
The survey showed that 52 percent of the respondents were in favor of the mandate that required Americans to obtain health insurance. This is a sizeable increase from June when that figure was 44 percent. The survey also indicated that 47 percent of Americans are in opposition to the mandate, which is a drop from 54 percent in June.
According to Keating Holland, the polling director at CNN, “The health insurance mandate has gained most support since June among older Americans and among lower-income Americans.” He added that most independents were in opposition to it during their last poll, but now more than half are now in favor.
ORC International Poll conducted the telephone survey for CNN on November 11 through November 13, and included the participation of 1,036 adult Americans.