Public Opinion

Health Costs

A Preview of the Role Health Care May Play in the 2026 Election

Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, this KFF issue brief examines the role health care has played in previous elections and what that may suggest about its potential role in 2026. KFF polls have consistently found that the cost of health care is an important part of voters’ economic concerns.

Poll: Prescription Costs Regulation, Affordability and TrumpRx

KFF’s Health Tracking Poll finds that most Americans (59%) are worried about affording prescription drugs and support more regulation of prescription drug pricing (72%). Looking ahead to the midterm elections, the Democratic party currently holds the advantage for who voters trust to address health costs, including prescription drugs.

ACA Marketplace Survey Feature Image - Website

Survey: ACA Enrollees’ Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes

This follow-up survey of adults who had ACA Marketplace insurance in 2025 examines enrollees' cost concerns and coverage changes after the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits. It finds half of returning enrollees say their health care costs are “a lot higher” and most expect to cut back on basic household expenses to afford coverage.

Health Information and Trust

Dashboard: Polling on Health Information and Trust

Drawing on KFF’s poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information.

Recent Polls

The Public’s View of Immigration Enforcement in Health Care Settings

Amid reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at hospitals and President Trump’s reversal of policy protecting “sensitive locations” like hospitals, KFF’s Health Tracking Poll finds that a majority of the public say they are concerned about the Trump administration’s actions in health care settings.

Knowledge and Views of Medication Abortion

This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that many, including women of reproductive age, remain unfamiliar with key facts about mifepristone. Fewer than half of all adults say they believe abortion pills are safe now, compared to over half of all adults two years ago. This poll explores awareness and perception of the recent FDA review of the medication, and support for policies aimed at restricting it.

KFF-Washington Post Survey Explores Parents’ Trust In, and Confusion About, Childhood Vaccines

The KFF-Washington Post partnership Survey of Parents explores experiences and views pertaining to childhood vaccines. The Survey of Parents also sheds light on school vaccination requirements, views on federal health agencies and policy changes, and the views of parents with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This poll comes as the Trump administration revamps federal policies, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to question the childhood vaccine schedule.

KFF/New York Times Survey of Immigrants

KFF-New York Times Survey: Immigrants Report Rising Fear, Negative Economic and Health Impacts, and Changing Political Views During the First Year of President Trump’s Second Term

The 2025 Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The New York Times, takes an in-depth look at the experiences of immigrants during the first year of President Trump’s second term, including their worries related to increased immigration enforcement, their health and economic wellbeing, and the political views and preferences of immigrant voters. The survey paints a portrait of families under strain — where fear of detention and economic instability are negatively impacting immigrants’ health and reshaping immigrant families’ daily lives and views of U.S. political parties.

Read the News Release | Explore The New York Times’ Reporting

the essentials

Health Tracking Poll

Our signature survey project provides up-to-date data on the public’s health care views, knowledge, and experiences.

Survey Question Finder

Search all KFF polls since 1992 by keyword and date to find full question wording and results.

Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll

The Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll is part of KFF’s Health Information and Trust Initiative, which tracks health misinformation and analyzes its impact on the public.

Polls in Health Policy

This chapter of our digital “textbook” explores why surveys are essential for understanding health policy issues. 

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  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — April 2012

    Feature

    The April poll gauged Americans' opinions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the wake of the Supreme Court oral arguments in the legal challenges to the health reform law in March. The increased public attention to the Affordable Care Act generated by the Supreme Court's consideration of the law did not meaningfully change the public's opinion of the law overall or of the specific provision at the heart of critics' legal case against it,…

  • KFF Data Note: A Snapshot of Public Opinion on the Individual Mandate

    Perspective

    This week, the Supreme Court hears arguments on several challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance as of 2014, known as the individual mandate. For the two years since the law’s passage, and during the debate leading up to it, this provision has been one of the most controversial aspects of the law. As the lawyers, policymakers, ACA opponents and supporters focus…

  • Public Opinion on the ACA: Cruising or Turbulent Ride?

    Perspective

    Regular readers of the Kaiser Health Tracking poll know by now that public opinion on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been at a steady cruising altitude since it was signed into law on March 23, 2010, with a little over four in ten viewing the law favorably and a similar share unfavorably. But, has public opinion on the law since passage been more turbulent for different groups of Americans, for example, those with lower…

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — March 2012

    Feature

    As the oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begin in two weeks before the Supreme Court, the March Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that Americans' views on the case mirror their views on the health reform law and that they expect parts of the ACA to continue whatever the Court rules. The poll finds that half of all Americans (51%) think the Court should rule the mandate unconstitutional and about the same number…

  • Americans’ Views on the Supreme Court Case Mirror Their Views on the Health Reform Law

    News Release

    The Public Expects Parts Of The Affordable Care Act To Continue Whatever The Court Rules Two Years After Passage The Public Is Evenly Divided On The Law, Split Sharply Along Partisan Lines MENLO PARK, Calif. -- The requirement that nearly everyone obtain health insurance or pay a fine has long been Americans’ least favorite part of the health reform law, and their views on what the Supreme Court should do about that key provision, known…

  • March Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: The ACA at Two Years; The Individual Mandate and the Supreme Court

    Perspective

    As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) nears its second birthday, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that public opinion on the law remains evenly split (41 percent favorable, 40 percent unfavorable) with sharp divisions along partisan lines, much as it has been since the law was passed. With the Supreme Court preparing to hear challenges to the law later this month, about half the public thinks the Court should strike down the…

  • Health Insurance Transparency under the Affordable Care Act

    Perspective

    In February, a final rule was issued implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that all health plans provide a uniform summary of coverage for all enrollees and applicants. The idea of providing easy-to-understand summaries of coverage is, in fact, the most popular provision in the ACA, according to a recent Kaiser tracking poll. That finding suggests powerful consumer frustration over the complexity of health insurance and the difficulty people face evaluating health insurance choices and understanding…

  • Data Note: A Snapshot of Public Opinion on the Individual Mandate

    Poll Finding

    For the two years since the law's passage, and during the debate leading up to it, the individual mandate has been one of the most controversial aspects of the law. As the lawyers, policy makers, ACA opponents and supporters focus intently on the Supreme Court hearings, this Data Note looks at what the general public thinks of the mandate, explores the reasons why favorability ratings have been so low, and suggests that while opinion on…

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — February 2012

    Feature

    In the midst of continuing debate on the future of the Medicare program, the February Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll finds most Americans and most seniors favor the status quo, though arguments about the program’s solvency have the potential to sway opinion toward new proposals. The survey also gauges public opinion about the ongoing contraceptive coverage debate, views of the Affordable Care Act, and trust in the presidential candidates on health care issues. The February…

  • Data Note: Americans’ Views on the Personal Impact of the ACA and the Supreme Court’s Decision

    Poll Finding

    This Data Note draws from the March 2012 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll and examines people's impressions of how the law and the Court case will affect them, focusing primarily on those groups that are in the position to receive the greatest benefits. For the most part, those that stand to benefit most are not more likely than others to expect to be better off under the law, or to feel that the Supreme Court's decision…