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

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Issues in the Lead-Up to the 2026 Midterm Election 

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.

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RSVP for a virtual event featuring KFF public opinion experts providing insights on the latest polling about health care issues in advance of the midterms, including current public sentiment about Medicare-for-All. After the presentation, experts will take questions from attendees.

KFF/AP Survey of RURAL VOTERS

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.

Health Tracking PollS

Mifepristone and the Midterms

Amid an ongoing FDA re-review of mifepristone, awareness of the safety and prevalence of the abortion pill remains limited. This KFF poll also finds that the voters who say abortion policy is an important issue for 2026 midterm candidates to discuss are disproportionately Democrats.

Ebola Response and Pandemic Preparedness

Much of the public has yet to form an opinion on the U.S. government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this poll finds. Four in ten adults say the U.S. is less prepared for a pandemic now than it was in 2020.

Most Democratic Voters Want To Hear Candidates Discuss Health Costs and Future of Health Programs; More Republicans Focused on Fraud

Public Views on Fraud in Government Health Programs

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.

MAHA and the Midterms

This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the cost of health care is a more prominent focus for Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) voters than issues like food and vaccine policy. Four in ten MAHA voters (42%) choose lowering health costs as the most important health priority, outranking other MAHA priorities.

the essentials

Health Tracking Poll

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

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

Tracking the Public’s Views on the ACA

This interactive tool tracks public opinion on the Affordable Care Act, from the inception of the law to the present, including trends based on party identification, income, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

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.

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  • KFF Health Tracking Poll: The Public’s Views of Funding Reductions to Medicaid

    Feature

    As Congress works to pass the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which includes significant changes to Medicaid and the ACA, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll examines the views of groups that could be most directly impacted by the impending legislation. The poll finds most of the public is worried about the consequences of federal funding reductions to Medicaid, including rural residents, those with lower incomes, and across partisans.

  • More Than Half of the Public Worries Federal Medicaid Budget Cuts Would Affect Their Family’s Ability to Obtain and Afford Care; More Worry It Will Increase the Uninsured 

    News Release

    As Congress weighs spending cuts and other changes to Medicaid, more than half (54%) of the public say they are worried significant reductions in federal Medicaid spending would negatively affect their family’s ability to obtain and afford health care, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. This includes about three in 10 (29%) who say they are “very worried” about such an outcome.  Democrats (69%) and independents (68%) are much more likely to say they…

  • Amid Increased Immigration Enforcement, a Majority of Lawfully Present Immigrants Are Worried They or a Family Member Could Be Detained or Deported 

    News Release

    A new KFF poll of immigrants finds that six in 10 lawfully present immigrants say they worry about the possibility that they or a family member could be detained or deported, contributing to feelings of increased stress, anxiety, and other health problems.  The increased fears come against a backdrop of more restrictive federal immigration policies and increased enforcement actions and are among the most notable takeaways from the new KFF survey of immigrants’ views and…

  • Major Federal and State Funding Cuts Facing Planned Parenthood

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief presents data from the most recent tracking poll asking if people have ever visited a Planned Parenthood clinic for health care services and looks at the funding cuts Planned Parenthood is currently facing including Medicaid, Title X, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention funds.

  • Public Trust in Vaccine Information, Misrepresented Vaccine Studies, and HIV and PrEP Stigma — The Monitor

    Feature

    This volume examines findings about trusted sources of vaccine information from the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust. It also explores how the misrepresentation of studies and policy developments contribute to health narratives around vaccines, HIV and PrEP. Lastly, it summarizes new research on the use of generative AI to counteract vaccine misinformation.

  • Living in an Undocumented Immigrant Family Under the Second Trump Administration: Fear, Uncertainty, and Impacts on Health and Well-Being

    Issue Brief

    During his second term, President Trump has implemented an array of immigration policy changes focused on restricting immigration and increasing interior immigration enforcement efforts. These policy changes include restrictions on both lawful and unlawful immigration into the U.S., increased interior enforcement activities to support mass deportation, attempts to end birthright citizenship for the children of noncitizen immigrants, and rescinding protections against enforcement action in previously protected areas such as schools, churches, and health care facilities.…

  • The Sad State of Trust in the CDC and FDA

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF’s President and CEO Drew Altman discusses how the low levels of trust in the CDC and FDA today seen in KFF’s recent survey findings present a danger should the country face another epidemic.

  • KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Vaccine Safety and Trust

    Poll Finding

    As the Trump administration overhauls government health agencies, partisan trust in these agencies on vaccines has shifted and few express confidence in their ability to carry out key tasks. Most adults are confident in the safety of routine vaccines, but the COVID-19 vaccines remain polarizing with many uncertain about false claims regarding mRNA technology.