Health in the 2026 Midterm Elections


Mapping ACA Marketplace and Medicaid Enrollment by Congressional District 

With an estimated 14 million people expected to become uninsured by 2034 due to major changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces in the 2025 reconciliation law plus the expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits, KFF’s new interactive maps provide a way to view ACA Marketplace and Medicaid enrollment by congressional district across the U.S.

Share of Congressional District Enrolled in ACA Marketplace, 2026

ACA Marketplace Enrollment by Congressional District

This ACA Marketplace enrollment map shows that more than half of Marketplace enrollees (55%) live in Republican districts. The highest shares of state enrollment are in Florida (16%), Georgia (11%), Texas (10%), and Utah (10%)—states that were all won by President Trump in 2024.

Share of Congressional District Enrolled in Medicaid, 2025

Medicaid Enrollment by Congressional District

This new interactive map illustrates Medicaid enrollment by congressional district and eligibility group. In half of Republican congressional districts, at least 20% of residents are enrolled in Medicaid, and in half of Democratic districts, at least 25% are enrolled.

Event

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

Event Date:

During this virtual event, KFF public opinion and survey experts provided analysis and insights on the latest findings from recent public opinion surveys about health care issues in advance of the midterms, including current public sentiment about Medicare-for-All and how it compares historically.

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

Public Opinion on Medicare-for-All

This chart pack summarizes KFF polling data on public opinion on Medicare-for-all and other national health plan proposals. The latest update finds that two-thirds of the public supports Medicare-for-all, while support changes drastically as respondents hear arguments from proponents and critics.

Public Opinion

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

Poll: Health Care and Gas Costs Top Voters’ Midterm Concerns 

As the 2026 midterms approach, health care costs remain tied with gas as voters’ top midterm concerns and the Democrats hold a clear edge over the Republicans Party on who voters trust to handle many top electoral issues, including the cost of health care and the cost of living.

Midterm Election Updates

These fact sheets offer background on election-related health care issues.

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.

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.

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.

women's health policy

Women’s Health Care Affordability Challenges

As health care costs dominate the national political conversation, our 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey shows the toll those costs are taking on women. Our new nationally representative survey of women and men ages 18–64 finds costs remain a major barrier for women, specifically — causing everything from delayed care to rationed medications to cuts in spending on basic needs.

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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31-40 of 53 results

  • 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…

  • Poll: Costs Are the Top Health Care Issue for Voters in the Midterms, But Fraud Tops Republicans’ List As Trump Administration Pushes Crackdown

    News Release

    Health care costs top the list of voters’ health care priorities for the midterm elections, though more than half of Republican voters say it is extremely important for candidates to discuss the issue of fraud in government health programs, according to a new KFF Health Tracking Poll. Most voters say there is at least “some” fraud in government health programs, but larger shares of voters see fraud in the tax system, defense, and foreign aid…

  • How Unaffordable is Health Care? 

    Video

    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…

  • Health Care Costs Keep Rising … Why and Who Pays?

    Video

    The U.S. spends more on health care than other large, wealthy countries. Concerns about rising costs aren't new, yet somehow we keep paying the bill. In this video, KFF’s Larry Levitt explains how we got here, who bears the consequences and why reining in spending systematically may be central to the next big health care debate.

  • What Your Employer-Based Health Coverage Really Costs

    Video

    More people get health coverage through their job than from any other source. The deduction workers see in each paycheck for their share of the premium is only a fraction of the total cost. In this video, KFF’s Matt Rae unpacks the full cost of employer-sponsored insurance and why it may be the biggest health care affordability story hiding in plain sight.

  • Did the Affordable Care Act Make Health Care More Affordable?

    Video

    The expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits at the start of 2026, combined with rising insurer premiums, put a spotlight on health care affordability that extends beyond Marketplace enrollees.KFF’s Cynthia Cox examines the ACA's record and the broader underlying question it raises: what's a fair price for Americans people to pay for health care?

  • There Are Many MAHAs

    From Drew Altman

    In a new column, Dr. Drew Altman, Founding President and CEO, dissects the MAHA “movement.” He writes: “There appear to be many MAHAs, not one. You can care about pesticides, or food additives, or vaccines, or child health, or corporate influence, or all of the above, to varying degrees. The reason so many Americans say they support MAHA when asked in polls is that, like a restaurant with a large menu, there is something in…