What Do the Midterm Election Results Mean for Health Care?

Event Date: Nov 5, 2026

Join KFF at noon ET on November 5 for a special post-election discussion and live podcast taping about what the election results could mean for health policy. Part of the discussion will focus on public opinion survey data on how voters weighed health care as they went to the polls nationally and in the four states with abortion-related ballot initiatives.

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Democrats Hold a Nearly 2-to-1 Advantage Over Republicans on Handling the Cost of Health Care

Poll: Cost of Health Care and Gas Top Voters’ Midterm Concerns; Democrats Hold Significant Advantage on Health Care Costs, Cost of Living

Health care costs are tied with gas as voters’ top economic concern, and voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on key issues, including health care costs and the cost of living. Meanwhile, support for Medicare-for-All has reached a new high in KFF polling — though views shift significantly when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.

Read the news release

“…voters’ concerns about health care costs are having a moment, and will continue to do so through 2028, because voters see them as a dimension of their worries about the cost of living, which is their dominant concern right now.” — Drew Altman, KFF Founding President and CEO

From Drew Altman: A Guide to the Role of Health in the Midterms

KFF Health News: GOP Focuses on Fraud, Seeking To Redirect Voters’ Ire Over Healthcare Costs

KFF Midterms Data Presentation Recap: What Do Voters Think About Health Care Now?

Event Date: Oct 14, 2026

Midterm Election Updates

These fact sheets offer background on election-related health care issues. See more from KFF’s Health in the Midterms series.

ACA Marketplaces

More people than ever got coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces in 2025, but the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits has driven up what people pay and contributed to declining enrollment in 2026.

Explore the facts

Medicaid

Major federal changes to Medicaid eligibility and financing from the 2025 reconciliation law are coming, including new work requirements that will affect millions of Medicaid enrollees.

See what’s changing

Vaccine Policy

Federal vaccine policy has shifted toward fewer recommended routine childhood vaccinations, more emphasis on individual decision-making, and greater skepticism about the safety and efficacy of some vaccines.

Get the details

Immigrant Health Policy

Immigration restrictions and enforcement are central to the Trump administration’s domestic agenda and a focus of debate in the 2026 midterm elections. These policies have ripple effects on health care.

Read the overview

medicare for all

From Larry Levitt: What’s in a Name? From Today’s Medicare to Medicare-for-All

Two-Thirds of U.S. Adults Now Favor Medicare-for-All, the Largest Share Since KFF Began Polling on the Plan

Overview of Public Opinion on Medicare-for-All, Other National Health Plan Proposals

KFF Health News: ‘Medicare-for-All’ Message Attracts Voters Buckling Under Medical Bills

health costs

Workers Now Pay $7,471 on Average Annually for Family Health Coverage, Up 9% or $621 from 2025

The 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey finds that workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health benefits in 2026, which is up 9%, or $621, from 2025. Including the employers’ share, total annual premiums for family coverage now average $28,303, up 5% from 2025.

Read the news release

KFF graphic with text that reads: "$28,303 -- Total annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage average $28,303 in 2026. Workers on average contribute $7,471 toward the premiums, with the employer paying the rest."

In 2026, Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Top $28,000

KFF Health News: Job-Based Health Plan Costs Rise, With Little Relief in Sight

KFF Health News: The Cost of Health Care Is Hitting America Where It Hurts — The Wallet

KFF Survey Data: Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

Interactive: Compare Changes Over Time in Premiums and Worker Contributions for Covered Workers

medicare open enrollment

KFF Health News: Medicare Drug Plans Are Hiking Premiums While Trump Claims Victory on Medicine Prices

How Medicare Advantage Rebates Disadvantage Medicare’s Stand-Alone Drug Plan Market

More Than 4 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Will Have Their Medicare Advantage or Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Terminated at Year-End

Medicare Part D Premiums, Cost Sharing in 2027

Medicare Part D is a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit for people with Medicare provided through private plans, including stand-alone prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans that offer drug coverage. This analysis provides an overview of Medicare Part D premiums and cost sharing in 2027 and key trends over time.

aca open enrollment

Tracking Insurer Participation Changes in the ACA Marketplaces in 2027

Midterm Election Updates

medicare for all

health costs

medicare open enrollment

aca open enrollment

new and noteworthy

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