Poll: 55 percent support health reform in California

By Daniel Weintraub
California Health Report

A record-high number of Californians now support the Affordable Care Act — President Barack Obama’s federal health reform plan, according to a new independent poll.

The survey, by the Public Policy Institute of California, also found the highest support ever for a plan to allow undocumented immigrants to become legal U.S. residents.

The poll questioned ,704 California adult residents between Jan. 15 and Jan. 22. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

On health reform, 55 percent of Californians now support Obama’s plan, which will take full effect in January, 2014. That’s up from 47 percent last March. Thirty-seven percent say they oppose the plan, which will require nearly every American to have health insurance, with subsidies for those who can’t afford it on their own and new regulations controlling the way insurers deal with their customers.

Still, support for the plan breaks down largely along party lines. Among Democrats, 76 support the program while among Republicans, 78 percent oppose it. Independents are split, with 44 percent in favor and 47 percent against.

About half of Californians say they don’t think the plan will affect them personally, with about 25 percent saying it will make their situation better and 23 percent saying it will make them worse off.

On immigration, a record-high 76 percent of Californians say they think undocumented immigrants should be able to keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status.

While Democrats take this position more often than Republicans and non-partisans, even 59 percent of Republicans favor a plan to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status.

A record-high 63 percent of Californians view immigrants as a benefit to the state, while 31 percent say they are a burden.

To see the entire poll, go here.

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