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The MIDTERMS

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 and Cost of Living 

With the 2026 midterms about a month away, 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. Two-thirds of U.S. adults now favor Medicare-for-all, a new high in KFF Polling, but support shifts when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.

New and noteworthy

Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

This data note reviews our recent polling data that finds that many Americans struggle to afford many aspects of health care, including disproportionate shares of uninsured adults, Black and Hispanic adults and those with lower incomes.

Health System Tracker

Is This A Healthcare Economy?

Health care employment has grown faster than other sectors of the economy, with jobs in physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, home health, and other settings increasing over the past year even as the rest of the job market plateaued. 

Cumulative percent change in health sector and non-health sector employment, January 1990 - August 2026

What Are the Recent Trends in Health Sector Employment

Health care employment continues to grow even as hiring across other sectors has plateaued. The health sector added nearly 379,000 jobs over the past year, a 2% increase, compared with just 0.2% growth in other non-farm employment, with outpatient care among the fastest-growing health care settings.

How TrumpRx Brand-Name Drug Prices Compare

TrumpRx prices for brand-name drugs are about as likely to be higher as lower compared to average prices in other wealthy countries, according to an analysis that compares 32 brand-name drugs.

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  • Kaiser Health Policy Tracking Poll: December 2014

    Feature

    With many of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) major provisions taking effect this past year, the December Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that many Americans are aware of the main parts of the law and, with the exception of the individual mandate, at least 6 in 10 feel favorably towards them. The poll finds the vast majority of the uninsured don’t know the deadline to enroll, most expect to get health insurance in the next…

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: April 2015

    Feature

    This month’s Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds public opinion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be almost evenly split The poll also asks about health care priorities for the President and Congress, and the concern that comes out on top for Democrats, Republicans and independents alike is making sure that high-cost drugs for chronic conditions are affordable to those who need them. Other than high-cost prescription drugs, Democrats, Republicans and independents have different…

  • How an ACA Premium Spike Will Affect Family Budgets, and Voters

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman shows how spiking premiums, which may come if the enhanced ACA tax credits are not extended, will hit people in the context of their family budgets, alongside rising costs for food, housing and utilities. For some families, their new health care costs could far exceed what they pay for food, affecting their economic security and potentially their vote.

  • The Role Health PLAYED in the Election

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman provides an early post-mortem on the role health played in the election, discussing the many ways it did play a role in the campaign — even if not a decisive one.

  • The Role of Health Care in the New Presidential Election

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman describes the role of health care in the new presidential election with Vice President Harris facing former President Donald Trump. He discusses how health will likely be a consequential factor in the campaign, with abortion and reproductive rights, along with health care costs, taking center stage.

  • The Semi-Sad State of Consumer Protection In Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the state of consumer protections in health care and explains why, even with consumer frustration clear, Congress is unlikely to pursue major new health insurance protections but there could be some modest steps.

  • Going It Alone: A Conversation About Growing Old in America

    Event Date:
    Event

    KFF Health News’ Navigating Aging columnist, Judith Graham, spent six months this year talking to older adults who live alone by choice or by circumstance — most commonly, a spouse’s death. They shared their hopes and fears, challenges, and strategies for aging solo. KFF Health News and The John A. Hartford Foundation held a 90-minute interactive, virtual event called “Going It Alone." The event featured frank conversation with five of the people featured in Graham’s…

  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Biden vs. Trump on Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman unravels the differences between Trump and Biden on Medicare, abortion, drug costs and other health-related issues that KFF's new side-by-side candidate analysis examines. From the bird’s eye view, these differences amount to a fork in the road in direction on the role of the federal government in health and federal health spending.

  • Health Policy is Partisan, But It’s Also Personal

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores how America's big health care programs — Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — provide popular benefits valued by Americans from across the political spectrum. As partisan debates move closer to legislation, people may focus more on their personal financial concerns.

  • The CBO Report That Didn’t Roar

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman discusses a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)'s payment and delivery demonstrations have cost Medicare money, and what it means for the future of value-based payment.