Americans are now slightly more likely to say they are “very familiar” with the healthcare law, officially known as the Affordable Care Act and unofficially known as “Obamacare,” than they were in August, but the percentage who say they are “somewhat familiar” with the law has declined concomitantly. As a result, the 68% of Americans who are at least somewhat familiar with the healthcare law is unchanged from August…

Americans’ approval of the healthcare law has also been relatively steady — varying between 41% and 45% — in four measures taken over the past four months. Gallup surveys conducted Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 26-28 show a smaller gap between the percentage who disapprove and the percentage who approve compared with last summer. This reinforces the finding Gallup has previously reported that the federal shutdown and health exchange problems to date have not caused Americans to have a more negative view of the healthcare law. Still, Americans remain slightly more likely to disapprove than approve of the healthcare law overall.