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By Louise Radnofsky

Still trying to figure out how health care will play in the Republican primary and the November presidential election? Consider some numbers from the latest opinion poll by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Obama administration announced yesterday that a dozen more states have crossed the first big threshold in setting up health insurance exchanges — including seven of the states that are suing the administration to overturn the health-care law passed last year.

Public opinion has tipped against the health-care overhaul passed last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly tracking poll finds.

Some 51% of respondents in a major monthly poll now say they have an unfavorable opinion of the legislation passed by Democrats in March 2010, and just 34% of them feel favorably about it, according to a KFF telephone survey of 1,223 people carried out earlier this month.

Put on your green eye shades, because we’re about to dive into one of the hotter recent issues in health care: the McKinsey report on implications of the health-care overhaul law.

The report, issued earlier this month, surveyed 1,329 employers and concluded that when fully implemented in 2014, the law could prompt 30% of employers to drop coverage for their employees. Instead, companies would pay a fine and let employees purchase coverage through one of the health-insurance exchanges.

A year ago today, President Barack Obama signed the health-care overhaul bill.

As we wrote then, “the executive and legislative branches have been the center of attention in Washington during the health-care fight so far, but the stage could soon be shared by the judiciary.” Indeed, there have been 25 cases challenging the law, according to this scorecard from Kaiser Health News.

More than half of Americans say they don’t fully understand the health-care overhaul law, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll.

The 53% who say they’re confused is only slightly less than the 55% who reported the same last April, shortly after the law was passed. The confusion rate dipped to a low of 42% in June in the past year.

Donald Berwick, who became head of Medicare and Medicaid via a controversial (and temporary) recess appointment by President Obama, will have a tough time getting confirmed by the Senate.

Just last week, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners voted on tough new rules for insurers that will govern how much they have to pay out in medical care versus overhead and profits. It was a big win for Democrats and consumer groups, who had worried that last-minute pressure from insurers could weaken this aspect of the health law.

See original here: It’s Not Over: Consumer Groups Still Worried About Insurance Rules

Four weeks ago President Obama signed the health overhaul bill into law. WSJ’s Jerry Seib explains the bill’s impact on Democrats’ popularity based on recent public polls.

See the original post:  The Health Bill’s Impact on Dems Thus Far/a>