LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Sixteen years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Americans remain deeply divided along party lines. Even as a majority say they support it.
New national polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows 61% of the public views the ACA favorably, including about 90% of Democrats. Support drops significantly among Republicans, with just 32% expressing a positive view of the law.
Despite those divides, many of the law’s core provisions, especially protections for people with pre-existing conditions, continue to be widely popular across the political spectrum.
Michigan Democrats marked the anniversary Monday by defending the law and criticizing recent policy decisions, particularly the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits that helped lower insurance costs for millions of Americans.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) warned that those changes are already having consequences.
“Americans don’t support it. They’re scared,” Dingell said. “Yet Republicans remain steadfast in their determination to dismantle the progress we’ve made.”
Lawmakers say the loss of those tax credits is forcing some families to make difficult financial choices.
“It’s the difference between having insurance or going without healthcare,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) said. “About one in 10 enrollees have dropped their coverage and now are uninsured.”
Tlaib added that many families are now cutting back on essentials like food to afford rising health care costs.
Democrats also pointed to the strain on hospitals, saying more uninsured patients are delaying care until conditions worsen, leading to overcrowded emergency rooms and higher uncompensated care costs.
“They wait till they’re sicker,” Dingell said. “They’re feeling the strains of the higher rates of uninsured people.”
Republicans have long argued the ACA contributes to rising health care costs, a debate that is expected to intensify ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) said the law still provides critical protections for families.
“Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, medical debt was a leading cause of personal bankruptcy,” Scholten said. “It still represents real security for families throughout the country.”
With three-quarters of voters saying health care costs will influence their vote this fall, the future of the ACA, and broader health care policy, is likely to remain a central campaign issue.
