A new Kaiser Family Foundation study shows that 42 percent of Americans do not know that the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as "Obamacare," is the law of the land.

Twelve percent believe the law has been repealed by Congress and another 7 percent think it's been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The remaining 23 percent say they don't know enough to say what the status of the law is.

The Kaiser poll shows greater awareness than indicated by last winter's Enroll America study. Enroll found that almost 80 percent of Americans qualified to gain access to health coverage under the new plan had no idea that such programs would become available in 2014.

Healthcare advocates say the lack of awareness has been an ongoing challenge, but they prefer mass marketing campaigns begin closer to the roll out date to avoid having to sell a product that won't be on the market until the end of the year.

Open enrollment kicks off in October for health plan options that begin Jan. 1, 2014.