Study: Obamacare Debate Eroded Americans' Willingness To Comply

The heart bleeds

It was this week, one year ago, that the Affordable Care Act had its day in court—the Supreme Court, that is.

The health care care law had the longest oral arguments of any case the high court has heard; supporters lined up for a seat in the courthouse four days in advance.

Obamacare's mandated purchase of health coverage survived the challenge. It may not, however, have gotten off scot free: New research suggests the controversy over the mandate may been a blow to its credibility—and Americans' willingness to comply.

That's the takeaway from a new paper, authored by Boston University's Keith Marzilli Ericson and University of Pennsylvania's Judd Kessler that looks at the difference beween describing the health law's penalty for not carrying insurance as a "mandate" or a "tax."