President Obama’s Medicare slush fund—Benjamin E. Sasse & Charles Hurt – NYPOST.com

This political ticking time bomb could become the biggest “October Surprise” in US political history.

But the administration’s devised a way to postpone the pain one more year, getting Obama past his last election; it plans to spend $8 billion to temporarily restore Medicare Advantage funds so that seniors in key markets don’t lose their trusted insurance program in the middle of Obama’s re-election bid.

The money is to come from funds that Health and Human Services is allowed to use for “demonstration projects.” But to make it legal, HHS has to pretend that it’s doing an “experiment” to study the effect of this money on the insurance market.

That is, to “study” what happens when the government doesn’t change anything but merely continues a program that’s been going on for years.

via President Obama’s Medicare slush fund—Benjamin E. Sasse & Charles Hurt – NYPOST.com.

Americans Want More Control Over Their Own Health Care – Reason Magazine

Fifty-two percent approved of the community rating provision in the law, which would ban insurance companies from charging higher premiums based on medical history, compared to 39 percent who opposed it. But this support drops precipitously if the provision’s side effects include longer wait times for doctors (41 percent) or higher premiums (38 percent) or higher taxes (37 percent) or lower-quality care (15 percent).

via Americans Want More Control Over Their Own Health Care – Reason Magazine.

Two new polls show majority want Supreme Court to overturn ObamaCare « Hot Air

As the issue of ObamaCare goes to the Supreme Court this week, two new polls show what most other pollsters have found for the last two years — the majority of Americans want ObamaCare overturned.  We’ll start with the new Reason-Rupe poll, which surveyed 1200 general-population adults to find that 62% believe that the individual mandate is unconstitutional:

via Two new polls show majority want Supreme Court to overturn ObamaCare « Hot Air.

Report: Healthcare critics outspending supporters 3-to-1 on TV ads – The Hill’s Healthwatch

Public opinion on the healthcare overhaul has been split almost evenly since Obama signed the law two years ago, despite Democrats’ predictions that it would grow more popular as people learned what it does. The report released Thursday by Kantar Media could help explain why the law’s public image hasn’t improved.

Opponents have spent three times more than supporters on ads about the healthcare law in the two years since it passed, according to the report. The Kantar report says opponents have spent roughly $204 million on ads about the law, compared with about $58 million from supporters.

via Report: Healthcare critics outspending supporters 3-to-1 on TV ads – The Hill’s Healthwatch.

AEI Special Poll Report Health Care – Politics and Public Opinion – AEI

This unique compilation distills and compares data from ten major pollsters. It shows that:

American opinion of the health care law is evenly divided in most recent polls. (41 % favorable vs. 40% unfavorable – March Kaiser poll); (47% approving vs. 45% disapproving – March Pew poll)

In most polls, President Obama’s marks on handling health care are more negative than positive. Still, the public has more confidence in the Democrats than the Republicans to handle the issue.

Most people do not believe the federal government should be able to require all Americans to buy health insurance. In December 2011, for example, 84% did not think the federal government should have this power. In August 2010 83% gave that response (AP-GfK/Roper poll). In a December 2011 and March 2012 Kaiser polls, majorities said the Supreme Court should rule this unconstitutional.

Depending on question wording, people express different views about what should happen to the law now. In the March 2012 Pew poll, 33 percent wanted to expand it, 38 percent repeal it, and 20 percent leave it as it is. This response has been consistent in four Pew questions asked since November 2010.

via AEI Special Poll Report Health Care – Politics and Public Opinion – AEI.

Obama tries to reclaim advantage on gas prices, health care – The Washington Post

On health care, Obama and his allies have begun promoting the law anew in op-ed pieces and local appearances as the measure heads for a three-day hearing in the Supreme Court next week.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis have been dispatched to Missouri and Florida and to meetings with college newspapers, farming publications and Spanish-language media outlets. Several publications favorable to the administration are running op-eds by Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin and White House adviser Valerie Jarrett touting the overhaul.

via Obama tries to reclaim advantage on gas prices, health care – The Washington Post.

On second anniversary, health care divide grows – Washington Times

Democrats are pointing to immediate benefits from the law in an effort to rehabilitate its image in the minds of voters, who take a dim view of it two years after its passage. An ABC-Washington Post poll released Monday found that Americans oppose the law by 52 percent to 41 percent.

via On second anniversary, health care divide grows – Washington Times.

Health law heads back into spotlight – Jennifer Haberkorn – POLITICO.com

For those who support the health care reform law, the trick next week will be to get the public to see it as a bunch of pieces — the parts everyone likes.

For the opponents, the goal is to paint it as one big, scary law: “Obamacare.”

via Health law heads back into spotlight – Jennifer Haberkorn – POLITICO.com.

RealClearPolitics – 67% Want to Ditch Health Care Mandate

Two-thirds of Americans say the U.S. Supreme Court should throw out either the individual mandate  in the federal health care law or the law in its entirety,  signaling the depth of public disagreement with that  element of  the Affordable Care Act.

via RealClearPolitics – 67% Want to Ditch Health Care Mandate.

Put on Your Shoes: We Can Win This One – Opinion – PatriotPost.US

As Mickey Kaus at the Daily Caller put it, “if the Times says women were ‘split,’ you know that must mean they were actually narrowly against the [Times'] preferred position.” And that’s precisely so. By a 46-44 margin, women favored a religious exemption for all employers. The gap widened to 53-38 in the case of religiously-affiliated employers.

Men, who do vote after all, were even more supportive of opt-out provisions. Overall, Americans, by a 57-to-36 margin favor allowing religiously-affiliated employers to opt out. Remember that statistic.

via Put on Your Shoes: We Can Win This One – Opinion – PatriotPost.US.