Views toward health reform tick upward around six-month anniversary

U.S. adults' opinion of Democrats' signature healthcare reform law ticked upward over the last month, as the law's benefits begin to kick in.

Forty-nine percent of adult Americans say they have a favorable opinion of the healthcare bill President Obama signed into law in March, while 40 percent have an unfavorable impression.

That's the most favorable opinion potential voters have had since July, and a rebound in the monthly Kaiser Health Tracking Poll from last month, when health reform suffered a net negative, 43-45 percent, approval rating.

The improved opinion about healthcare comes after the six month anniversary of the law's implementation celebrated by Democrats last year. That anniversary kicked in some of the first, basic benefits accrued by Americans under the law.

Both Democrats and Republicans are counting on the controversial healthcare bill to carry votes for them in this fall's heavily contested elections. Republicans have pledged to repeal the legislation and replace it with their own reforms, while Democrats have sought to highlight the benefits that would be threatened by the GOP's repeal effort.

The Kaiser poll, which has been one of the most regular surveys to track the implementation of healthcare, found that roughly a quarter of the public back repealing the bill.

Twenty-six percent of said it should be repealed -- the GOP position -- while a proportion of those who are opposed to the law still believe it should be given a chance to work before lawmakers look to repeal.

The poll, conducted Sept. 14-19, has a three percent margin of error.