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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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  • The Performance of the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Process through Mid-2024

    Issue Brief

    The No Surprises Act, which was signed into law by President Trump during his first term and took effect in 2022, aims to protect consumers from certain surprise medical bills. The law established processes to keep the patient out of the payment negotiations between the provider and the plan. In the event of an unsuccessful negotiation, providers and payers enter an independent dispute resolution (IDR) process in which a designated third-party arbitrator examines eligible evidence…

  • Tariffs Are Driving 2026 Health Insurance Premiums Up

    Quick Insights

    President Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on a wide variety of goods from multiple countries. While consumers may expect the price of some imported goods to go up, what may be surprising is that these tariffs are already driving health insurance premiums up.

  • Nearly Half of Metro Areas Have Only One or Two Hospitals or Health Systems Providing Inpatient Care

    News Release

    Nearly half (47%) of metropolitan areas across the country had only one or two hospitals or health systems providing general inpatient hospital care in 2022, a new KFF analysis finds.The analysis examines the extent of competition among hospitals amid a wave of hospital consolidation that has drawn the attention of state and federal regulators. About one in five (19%) metropolitan statistical areas have only one hospital or health system providing hospital care, and more than…

  • Annual Family Premiums for Employer Coverage Rise 7% to Average $25,572 in 2024, Benchmark Survey Finds, After Also Rising 7% Last Year

    News Release

    Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 7% this year to reach an average of $25,572 annually, KFF’s 2024 benchmark Employer Health Survey finds. On average, workers contribute $6,296 annually to the cost of family coverage.   This marks the second year in a row that premiums are up 7%. Over the past five years—a period of high inflation (23%) and wage growth (28%)—the cumulative increase in premiums has been similar (24%). While employers are…

  • 2024 Employer Health Benefits Chart Pack

    Feature

    This slideshow captures key data from the 2024 KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey survey, providing a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing, abortion coverage, offer rates, wellness programs, and other employer practices.

  • Calculadora del Mercado de Seguros Médicos

    Feature

    Esta calculadora ilustra las primas (el costo mensual de su seguro) y subsidios para las personas que compran seguro médico por su propia cuenta en el mercado de seguros de salud (o de intercambio) creado por la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (Affordable Care Act, ACA, en inglés). Con esta calculadora, usted puede introducir diferentes niveles de ingresos, edades, y el tamaño de su familia para obtener un estimado de su elegibilidad…

  • Implementation Dates for 2025 Budget Reconciliation Law

    Feature

    This searchable timeline shows the implementation dates for the health care provisions included in the 2025 federal budget reconciliation law, previously known as "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." It includes provisions related to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

  • A Guide to the Role of Health in the Midterms

    From Drew Altman

    In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman says health care costs are playing a significant role in the midterms as one dimension of voters’ concerns about cost of living, and explains why pollsters, analysts, and candidates should look at it that way, and not as a separate voting issue. He writes, “The ‘issue’ that matters most in this election is cost of living and the cost of health care is a central…