Home Health in the 2026 Midterm Elections Series

Health in the 2026 Midterm Elections

Public Opinion

Views of Rural Voters

The KFF/AP Rural Voters Survey examines the views and political priorities of voters living in rural areas across the United States ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The survey gauges rural voters’ top election issues, growing struggles with cost of living and health care costs, as well as views on the Trump administration’s health care policies.

women's health policy

beyond the data by drew altman

featured videos

How Unaffordable is Health Care? 

Health care affordability is a top issue for many people. Why and how did care get so expensive? In this three-part video series, KFF experts look at the rising cost of health care in the U.S. from the macro level to the issues facing everyday Americans. Drawing on KFF policy analysis and polling, the videos examine the underlying drivers of health care spending, the true cost of employer sponsored health insurance and whether the Affordable Care Act has delivered on its promise. View the videos

Are Health Insurers to Blame for Our Health System Problems? 

Political leaders on both sides point fingers at health insurers for high costs and patient frustrations. How much blame do insurers, in fact, deserve for our health system’s problems? This three-part video series from KFF considers this question and the complicated answer, exploring what’s driving rising insurance premiums, whether insurers provide value, and who we trust to decide what gets covered and at what price. Watch and share →

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  • Are Health Insurers to Blame for Our Health System Problems? 

    Video

    Political leaders on both sides point fingers at health insurers for high costs and patient frustrations. How much blame do insurers, in fact, deserve for our health system’s problems? In this three-part video series, KFF’s Larry Levitt considers this question and the complicated answer, exploring what’s driving rising insurance premiums, whether insurers provide value, and who we trust to decide what gets covered and at what price.

  • What’s Driving Rising Health Premiums?

    Video

    Costly health insurance premiums are straining employers and consumers alike. But, it’s underlying health care spending, especially for hospital care, that’s driving costs. KFF’s Larry Levitt looks at how hospital consolidation and employer demands for broad networks affect insurers’ ability, and willingness, to control prices in this first video of a three-part series on health insurers and rising health care costs.

  • What Do We Get for the Cut Health Insurers Take?

    Video

    Insurers take a cut of every premium dollar for overhead and profit. The question isn't just whether they profit, but also whether we’re getting value in return. KFF’s Larry Levitt breaks down how much goes to administrative costs and profit and how that varies across private insurance markets and Medicare, and considers what a Medicare-for-all system, which would be operated by the government, would address and what might be left unresolved in this second video…

  • KFF Health Tracking Poll: Mifepristone and the Midterms

    Poll Finding

    Amid an ongoing FDA re-review of mifepristone, awareness of the safety and prevalence of the abortion pill remains limited. This KFF poll also finds that the voters who say abortion policy is an important issue for 2026 midterm candidates to discuss are disproportionately Democrats.

  • Are Health Care Costs THE Top Issue for Voters?

    From Drew Altman

    In a new column, Dr. Drew Altman, Founding President and CEO, analyzes the polling on health costs as a voting issue and concludes that there is no one top voting issue. He writes: “I have come to the conclusion that the search for a single top issue through polling questions—whether it’s health costs, or gas prices, or the cost of food—is artificial. People worry about and experience these costs together. There is no top issue,…

  • How Has ACA Marketplace Enrollment Changed Across States in 2026?

    Issue Brief

    Following several years of rapid enrollment growth in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces that corresponded with temporary enhanced premium tax credits, enrollment fell for the first time in seven years in 2026, when those tax credits expired. Every state except for New Mexico saw a drop in ACA Marketplace enrollment from 2025 to 2026. State-based Marketplaces that run their own enrollment platforms, including those that partially offset the expiring federal enhanced tax credits, generally…

  • Medicaid Work Requirements: Federal Outreach Requirements and State Plans

    Issue Brief

    State Medicaid programs must inform people affected by new work requirements with federally required notices, and most states are planning other types of outreach, including phone calls, public ads, and social media posts. This brief describes the federal outreach requirements and state plans, as well as the complexities and tight implementation timelines states face.

  • KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Views on Fraud in Government Health Programs

    Poll Finding

    As the 2026 midterms approach, health care costs remain voters' top health priority, but fraud in government health programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, is resonating with Republican voters, 55% of whom say it's extremely important for candidates to address. Most voters say there is at least “some” fraud in government health programs, but larger shares say there is fraud in the tax system, defense, and foreign aid, while the smallest share sees fraud in the…