A Preview of the Role Health Care May Play in the 2026 Election
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, this KFF issue brief examines the role health care has played in previous elections and what that may suggest about its potential role in 2026. KFF polls have consistently found that the cost of health care is an important part of voters’ economic concerns.
beyond the data
From Drew Altman: The New Ideas Conundrum in Health Policy
In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman writes about the “conundrum of health policy ideas” facing Democrats searching for new proposals because of competing, and complex, priorities: rebuilding Medicaid and the ACA after trillion-dollar cuts, reconstructing federal health agencies, and tackling underlying health care costs, when candidates want simple ideas they can campaign on and voters want their costs to come down.
new and noteworthy
health system tracker
How Does U.S. Life Expectancy Compare to Other Countries?
This chart collection examines how life expectancy in the U.S. compares to that of other similarly large and wealthy countries. Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. increased 0.6 years from 78.4 years in 2023 to 79.0 years in 2024, its highest-ever level. However, the average life expectancy in comparable countries was 82.7 years, about 3.7 years longer than in the U.S., reflecting a persistently wide difference in life expectancy between the U.S. and comparable countries.
Latest News
-
US Scientists Sequence 1,000 Genomes From Measles, a Disease Long Eliminated With Vaccines
-
State-Run Insurance Plans for Foster Kids Leave Some of Them Without Doctors
-
After Man’s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization
-
Readers Sound Off on Wage Garnishment, Work Requirements, and More
Subscribe to KFF Emails
Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here