FAU National Poll States Hispanics Have Favorable Opinion of Obamacare, Will Vote for Candidates That Support It

MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Hellegaard
561-319-2233, jhellegaard@fau.edu

BOCA RATON, Fla. (April 14, 2015) – Hispanics nationally have a 60 percent favorable opinion of the Affordable Care Act and are finding it increasingly easier to afford healthcare, according to the latest survey conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) in the College of Business. 

The March poll was conducted six months after a similar survey of Hispanics on Obamacare and offers a snapshot of their evolving opinions. Overall, Hispanics find it easier to afford healthcare (23.1 percent to 15 percent) than they did in September 2014. Only 7.8 percent of those polled said they had no health insurance, compared to 15.7 percent six months earlier. 

The numbers were especially pronounced for Hispanic women, as the percentage of females that are uninsured dropped from 20.8 percent to 8.4 percent, and the number of Hispanic females on government insurance jumped 16.1 points (26.2 percent to 42.2 percent).

“This is excellent news, given that before the Affordable Care Act expansion of health insurance coverage Hispanics were far more likely than whites to be uninsured,” said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of BEPI. “With the decline in uninsured rates among Hispanics, the Affordable Care Act is reducing the ethnic disparities in access to healthcare.”  

Hispanics men are more likely to favor the Affordable Care Act than women (66.4 percent to 52.4 percent). The favorable numbers were highest in the southeast at 72 percent, and lowest in the northeast at 40.3 percent. Asked how the healthcare law will affect their vote in the 2016 presidential election, 45.2 percent of Hispanics said they will vote for a candidate that supports the Affordable Care Act, while 31.8 percent stated they would support a candidate that opposes it. Hispanics 35-54 years of age were most likely to vote for candidates that support Obamacare (50.9 percent vs. 32.1 that oppose candidates that support Obamacare).  

Hispanics by a 20-point margin believe the federal government is responsible for providing coverage to its citizens (54 percent to 34 percent), a sentiment that grows stronger for those making the highest incomes (56.8 percent for those making $75,000 and above). 

The Obamacare poll was part of a monthly survey by BEPI of consumer optimism among Hispanics, which remained steady at 99.53, up one point from February and slightly down up from its January high of 100.69. The survey was conducted nationally from March 1-31. The polling sample consisted of 500 Hispanics with a margin of error of +/- 4.33 percent and a 95 percent confidence level.

For more information, visit www.business.fau.edu/bepi, or contact Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., at 561-297-1312 or BEPI@fau.edu.  

- FAU -

About FAU BEPI: 

The Florida Atlantic University Business and Economic Polling Initiative Conducts surveys on business, economic, political and social issues with a focus on Hispanic attitudes and opinions at regional, state and national levels via planned monthly national surveys. The initiative subscribes to the American Association of Public Opinion Research and is a resource for public and private organizations, academic research and media outlets. In addition, the initiative is designed to contribute to the educational mission of the University by providing students with valuable opportunities to enhance their educational experience by designing and carry out public opinion research.  

About Florida Atlantic University: 

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.