Public Opinion

HeaLTH COSTS

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.

RSVP for Virtual Event

Event Date: Oct 14, 2026

Event

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.

Drew Altman: A Guide to the Role of Health in the Midterms

Current and Historical Public Opinion on Medicare-for-All

KFF/AP Survey of RURAL VOTERS

KFF/AP Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties About the Rising Cost of Living, Including Health Costs, Heading into the Midterm Elections

Economic Frustration Tests Trump’s Standing With Rural Voters, New KFF-AP Poll Find

Read more from KFF Health News and Associated Press journalists.

Read the KFF/AP Rural Voters Survey News Release

Health Information and Trust

KFF stacked bar chart from April 2025 showing the share of adults ages 50 and older by total and by partisanship who say they view mRNA vaccines as generally safe, generally unsafe, or don't know enough to say. It shows that most adults ages 50 and older are unsure whether mRNA vaccines are safe. Among adults 50 and older, Democrats are more likely than independents and Republicans to say mRNA vaccines are generally safe, but still half across partisanship say they are unsure.

As FDA Approves First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine For Older Adults, Past KFF Polling Showed Most In This Age Group Were Uncertain About the Technology’s Safety

On August 5, 2026 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, following a trial of roughly 40,000 people. KFF polling in April 2025 found that most adults ages 50 and older were uncertain whether mRNA vaccines are safe.

From Drew Altman: Americans May Be Smarter About Vaccines Than You Think

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.

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.