Every month the wonks over at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation ask Americans a bunch of questions about health care in this country. And most of the time the results are fascinating for wonks and not exactly a ripping read for the rest of us.
Not so this time around. A very simple question posed to more than 1,200 people during the second week of February revealed that 22 percent of people think the federal health overhaul has already been repealed.
Let me repeat that. When asked, "As far as you know, which comes closest to describing the current status of the health reform law that was passed last years," more than 1 in 5 people said it has been repealed and is no longer law.
Another 26 percent didn't know or refused to answer the question. Barely more than half, or 52 percent, correctly said, "It's still the law of the land."
Drew Altman, the foundation's president and CEO, called the findings "a doozy," which isn't exactly a policy term of art.
Sure, in a symbolic vote the House passed a bill in January that would repeal health overhaul. But the Democrats in the Senate and White House have vowed to keep the health law from being undone. And, yes, there's a whole lot of litigating going over whether the law is constitutional. So far, the score is 3-2 in favor of the law.
Altman has an idea: Bring back " Schoolhouse Rock." Any excuse to bring back the show is fine by me.
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