Poll: Majority oppose Senate healthcare plan

More than half of Americans disapprove of Senate Republicans’ plan to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system, according to a Fox News poll out Wednesday.

Fifty-four percent said they oppose the Senate GOP leaders’ healthcare reform bill, while just 27 percent have a favorable opinion of it — a 2-to-1 margin.  

Another Fox News poll conducted after House Republicans passed their healthcare reform bill in May found that 40 percent of Americans said that they had a favorable opinion of the measure — 13 points higher than support for the Senate measure.

{mosads}Senate Republican leaders unveiled their version of a bill to repeal and replace large parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last week.

But the legislation has received mixed reviews from Republicans. So far, at least nine GOP senators have said they cannot vote for the measure in its current form, prompting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to postpone a vote on the bill until after lawmakers’ July Fourth recess.

The Congressional Budget Office released its assessment of the Senate bill on Monday, estimating that 22 million people would lose their health insurance coverage over the next decade while reducing the federal deficit by more than $320 billion.

The dwindling support for the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill comes amid heightened support for the ACA, which Republicans have long vowed to do away with. According to the Fox News poll, 52 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the ACA.