Medical Student Views of the Affordable Care Act

With new insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) beginning in 2014 and the ever-changing practice of medicine, it is important to understand medical students' recent perspectives on health policy and reform.

This study describes the opinions, perceptions, and comprehension of the ACA and health care reform by a cross-section of medical students in Wisconsin.

A total of 578 students (35%) completed an original survey developed from previous surveys.

Of those sampled, one-half identified as liberal or very liberal and 20% as conservative or very conservative. Respondents were split equally in their opinions of whether the United States or other nations had the highest quality care. One-half felt that faculty physicians and the media influenced their opinion of the ACA, while two-thirds felt that coursework and peers had no influence on their views. The vast majority sampled thought everyone is entitled to adequate medical care regardless of ability to pay and that physicians have a major responsibility to help reduce health care costs. A majority of liberal students and a minority of conservative students, supported the ACA. Personal and family experience as a patient influenced most liberals to support and most conservatives to oppose the ACA. One-half felt that medical school spent adequate time on health care policy education.