As lawmakers scour the budget for programs to slash, health care advocates released a poll yesterday showing that 64 percent of Maryland voters oppose funding cuts for recently enacted health care programs aimed at getting more residents health insurance.

State lawmakers approved legislation during last year’s special session that expands eligibility for Medicaid and provides subsidies to help small businesses offer coverage to their employees. Support for those health care programs was highest among Democrats, with 73 percent opposing reductions. The Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, which lobbied hard for the legislation, put out the poll results.

“The people of Maryland want the Maryland General Assembly to keep their promise to provide health care coverage to 100,000 uninsured Marylanders starting this year,” said Vincent DeMarco, the group’s president.

Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies conducted the telephone poll from Feb. 23 to March 1, interviewing 807 registered voters in Maryland. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.