Health-care win could cost president Barack Obama votes in the long run

OPPOSITION to President Barack Obama's health-care law jumped after he signed it – a clear indication his victory could become a liability for Democrats in this autumn's elections.

A poll has found 50 per cent of Americans oppose the reforms, against a 39 per cent approval.

Before a divided Congress passed the bill and Mr Obama signed it at a jubilant White House ceremony last month, public opinion was about evenly split. Another 10 per cent of Americans say they are neutral.

Disapproval for Mr Obama's handling of health care also increased from 46 per cent in early March, before he signed the bill, to 52 per cent currently – a level not seen since last summer's angry town hall meetings.

However, the bleak numbers may not represent a final judgment for the president and his Democratic allies in Congress.

Only 28 per cent of those polled said they understood the health-care overhaul extremely or very well. Democrats hope to change public opinion by calling attention to benefits available this year for seniors, families with children about to take up work and people shut out of coverage because of a medical problem.

"The surprise of this poll is that you would expect people to be more supportive of the bill now that it's the law of the land, and that's not the case," said Robert Blendon, a Harvard University public health professor who follows trends on health care.

"The election for the House is going to be competitive, and health care is clearly going to be an issue."