The majority of voters in U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder’s district oppose a GOP-backed plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, according to a new poll.
Yoder, an Overland Park Republican, said Monday that he has not yet decided whether he will support the bill being pushed by GOP leaders, which could receive a vote in the near future.
“There’s lots of this I like. We still have some concerns about the cost and the coverage,” Yoder said Monday.
The latest version of the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, includes a requirement that insurers provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, but it also enables insurers to charge people at higher rates if they let their coverage drop. That has created concerns that people with chronic conditions could face high premiums and gaps in coverage.
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“We may only get one shot of this,” Yoder said, explaining that he wants to be sure the bill is the best possible option before supporting it. “Because if Congress fails, single-payer is knocking at the door, and we don’t like that.”
Single-payer systems, such as Canada’s, provide universal health coverage through public funds. An analysis by the Urban Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C., found last year that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposed single-payer plan released during his bid for the presidency would reduce the number of uninsured by 28 million in 2017, but would also increase federal spending by $32 trillion over a 10-year period.
Yoder said that in his travels around the district, which covers the Kansas City suburbs, there has been a consistent concern from constituents that “Obamacare isn’t working as promised.”
A poll of 629 voters in Yoder’s district, conducted by the firm Public Policy Polling, found that 57 percent of voters support the Affordable Care Act compared to 33 percent who oppose it. The remaining 10 percent were undecided.
The same poll found that 59 percent of voters oppose the Republican health care proposal, while only 21 percent support it.
The poll was conducted April 26 and 27 on behalf of Planned Parenthood. The poll also found that 65 percent of voters in the district oppose President Donald Trump’s push to “defund” Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood has been targeting Yoder’s office with calls on that issue since March.
Bryan Lowry: 816-234-4077, @BryanLowry3
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