Gallup reports 57% approval for the Affordable Care Act, up three points from last year and exceeding prior highs of 55% in 2017 and 2020. The KFF Health Tracking Poll also shows record-high support. Enhanced pandemic-era subsidies are set to expire on Dec. 31, a move that could raise premiums for tens of millions. Republicans face a political dilemma: protect consumers by extending subsidies or avoid bolstering a law they have long opposed.
ACA Approval Climbs to 57% as Republicans Wrestle With Expiring Subsidies
03:25 AM, 12/10/2025
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has gained broader public support even as lawmakers face a fast-approaching deadline to decide whether to extend pandemic-era subsidies. With enhanced subsidies set to expire on Dec. 31, millions of families could see steep premium increases unless Congress acts.
Public Opinion Is Shifting
Recent Gallup polling shows approval of the 2010 Affordable Care Act has risen to 57%, up three percentage points from last year and surpassing prior peaks of 55% recorded in April 2017 and November 2020. The KFF Health Tracking Poll similarly reports record-high support for the law this year, suggesting a broader, sustained shift in public sentiment.
The Political Dilemma
Republican leaders face a familiar but politically painful choice. Many in the GOP remain publicly opposed to the ACA — often labeled "Obamacare" — and have spent years criticizing it. That rhetoric continues: senior GOP figures, including the president, have recently described the law as "so bad" or a "disaster." Yet refusing to extend subsidies risks sharp public backlash if consumers face much higher premiums.
What’s at Stake
If Congress allows the enhanced subsidies to lapse at year-end, tens of millions of Americans who rely on subsidized coverage could confront unaffordable premium hikes or loss of coverage. In theory, mounting public support for the ACA could push Republicans to act to shield consumers; in practice, many leaders appear reluctant to prop up a law they have long opposed.
Tick tock. Lawmakers are racing the calendar as families prepare for coverage decisions and higher costs in the coming weeks.
This post updates our earlier coverage. The post originally appeared on MS NOW.
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