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KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
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As Congress and the Democratic presidential candidates continue to discuss Medicare-for-all and other proposals to expand public health coverage, most Americans know little about how the leading Medicare-for-all proposals would reshape the way all Americans get and pay for health care.
In this Axios column, Drew Altman reports on new KFF focus groups with voters. They show voters are focused on the problems they have paying for care and navigating the health system, but have yet to tune in on the health proposals being made by candidates and elected officials, and don’t see them as relevant to their problems.
While not typically an election issue, Medicaid — particularly the Medicaid expansion created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — was an important issue in the 2018 midterm elections in a number of campaigns throughout the country. This fact sheet highlights key states in which the results of the 2018 midterm elections have implications for Medicaid adoption or implementation. States examined include those that had Medicaid expansion ballot initiatives as well as states that have not yet adopted or implemented expansion but elected governors who support Medicaid expansion. In these states that had gubernatorial races with implications for Medicaid expansion, it will be important to monitor changes in the composition of state legislatures, as governors in most states will need to work with their legislatures in order to adopt the expansion.
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Drew Altman discusses health being the top issue, but not necessarily the top factor in voters' 2018 decisions. He says the longer-term impact of health may be its continuing role in the debate leading up to the 2020 presidential race.
Health care ranks among the top issues voters want to hear candidates talk about on the campaign trail, with costs being the most concerning health issue for voters.
Introduction With the 2018 midterm election season in full swing, health care has emerged as one of the top issues for voters. The issue is playing a prominent role in many House, Senate, and gubernatorial races, and health-related measures have made it onto the ballot in several states.
Source KFF Late Summer Tracking Poll, Aug. 23-28, 2018 / KFF Election Tracking Poll, Sept. 19 - Oct.
In an expansive look at the 2018 midterm elections, this month's KFF Health Tracking Poll includes an in-depth examination of the role health care may be playing in midterm elections nationally, as well as in Florida and Nevada, two bellwether states in which candidates from both parties are talking about health care issues. Health care remains a top priority for Democrats and independents, but ranks lower for Republicans, behind immigration and the economy and jobs. However, when it comes to specific health care issues, lowering health care costs and maintaining protections for pre-existing conditions have bipartisan support. In addition to exploring the role of health care issues in the election, the KFF Health Tracking Poll also finds large shares of voters say candidate characteristics, President Trump, and party control over Congress will be major factors in their voting decisions.
This interactive allows users to examine the demographic profile of health care voters and compare them to voters who do not feel as strongly about a candidate’s position on health care.
Most Florida Voters Favor Expanding Medicaid in their State, As Do Voters across All Non-Expansion States In an expansive look at the role issues and politics may play in the 2018 midterm elections, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll continues to find health care as the top issue for voters, but large shares of voters…
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