Public Opinion

HeaLTH in the Midterms

Health Care in the 2026 Midterm Election

This dashboard focuses on KFF’s analysis of the role health care costs and other health policy issues played in voters’ decisions in the 2026 midterm elections, including in key Senate races. It examines the role of rising health costs on voters’ decisions, views on the Trump administration’s health care policies, and opinions on the government’s role in health care amid discussions of Medicare for All.

Abortion on the Ballot in 2026: Polling Insights from Voters in Four States

This dashboard provides KFF’s analysis of the role abortion played in voters’ decisions in the 2026 midterm elections, with a focus on four states with abortion-related ballot measures: Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia. It examines support for each of the measures across groups, including additional questions in Missouri.

What Do the Midterm Election Results Mean for Health Care? 

Event Date:

On November 5 at Noon ET, join KFF for a special post-election discussion and live “What the Health” podcast taping. Part of the discussion will focus on public opinion survey data on how voters weighed health care as they went to the polls nationally and in the four states with abortion-related ballot initiatives. 

Midterm Voters Give Democrats a Big Advantage to Handle Health Care

Quick Insights

KFF’s analysis of the 2026 Voter Poll by SSRS shows midterm voters gave Democrats a 19-percentage-point advantage on which party is better able to handle health care. Voters also gave Democrats a narrow edge on handling the economy (43% vs. 37%), a reversal from 2024, when Trump had a 10-point advantage over Harris. "In an election focused on affordability, Democrats’ messaging on health care costs appears to have resonated with voters and may have contributed to the party’s gains."

KFF/AP Survey of RURAL VOTERS

Health Information and Trust

About Half of Parents Mistakenly Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier for Children; Half Say No Strong Evidence to Support Such a Claim

KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Fall 2026 Update on Vaccine Views

The latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds about half of parents mistakenly believe spacing out vaccines is healthier for children, while confidence in many long-standing childhood vaccines is high across partisans. These findings take on new relevance following President Trump’s recent executive order calling for changes in U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations, including splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine—currently given as a single combined shot—into three separate vaccines across multiple visits.

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

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

Health Care Issues in the Lead-Up to the 2026 Midterm Election 

In the lead up to the midterms, health care costs remained tied with gas as voters’ top midterm concerns. Two-thirds of U.S. adults also favored Medicare-for-all, a new high in KFF Polling, but support shifts when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.

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 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.

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.

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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  • African American and HIV/AIDS Survey

    Report

    A national random-sample survey of 811 African American adults, 18 years and older, on their knowledge, values and beliefs with respect to HIV and AIDS. It describes the perceptions and attitudes of African Americans, as well as subgroups within the African American community including women, young adults, parents, opinion leaders, and those with less education and lower incomes. News Release Report Download Topline Download Chartpack Download

  • Survey of Americans on Gender

    Poll Finding

    This Washington Post/Kaiser/Harvard University survey examines Americans' opinions, perceptions and attitudes regarding gender and interactions between the sexes. A series of five related surveys were used to paint an up-to-date picture of gender issues in work place and on the home front, including sexual harassment, the division of household tasks, parenting roles, and the joys and challenges of marriage today. The surveys find that the rules of the game are changing, both at work and…

  • For-Profit Health Care Companies: Trends and Issues – Fact Sheet

    Poll Finding

    The rapid growth of managed care has brought with it a growing connection between the stock market and health care organizations. Health care services have evolved from being delivered by physicians and tax exempt institutions to a market-driven industry attracting investment capital from numerous sources. The market capitalization, or total stock value, of the relatively young HMO industry grew from a little over $3 billion in 1987 to almost $39 billion in 1997 - an…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans about Health Care and the Stock Market

    Poll Finding

    A survey on Americans' perceptions of healthcare stocks and the differences between for-profit and nonprofit healthcare organizations. A fact sheet including data on financial trends from the past decade is included. This survey was released at a briefing held jointly by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Press Foundation for journalists on February 11 entitled Do Falling Stocks Mean Failing Care? Trends and Implications of Wall Street's Declining Healthcare Stocks. The event is part…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey of Americans’ Views on Consumer Protection in Managed Care

    Other Post

    Kaiser/Harvard National Survey of Americans' Views On Consumer Protection In Managed Care 33. Earlier in this interview, you said you oppose a law requiring health plans to...(Insert--Read And Rotate). Would you still be opposed if health plans could decide for themselves whether to follow this practice, rather than be required by law? (Record Response) You also said you oppose a law requiring health plans to...(Insert Next Item) Would you still be opposed if health plans…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey of Americans’ Views on Consumer Protection in Managed Care – News Release

    Other Post

    Kaiser/Harvard National Survey of Americans' Views On Consumer Protection In Managed Care Public Supports Broad Range Of Proposals For Federal Consumer Protection In Managed Care, But Potential Consequences Raised By Critics Also Hit Home Embargoed for release until: 9:30 a.m. ET, Wednesday, January 21, 1998 For further information contact: Matt James or Tina Hoff Access to Specialists Public's Number One Consumer Protection Priority Washington, DC -- As the debate over regulation of the health care…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey of Americans’ Views on Consumer Protection in Managed Care

    Report

    A survey of 1,204 adults on Americans' views on consumer protections and government regulation of managed care and the President's "Consumer Bill of Rights." The survey was conducted for the Foundation and Harvard University by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Additional questions were asked as part of a national omnibus telephone survey of 1,012 adults between January 8-12, 1998. TOPLINE Download CHARTPACK Download NEWS RELEASE Download

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/Princeton Survey Research Associates Study of Media Coverage of Managed Care: January 1990 – June 1997

    Poll Finding

    An analysis of media coverage (both print and broadcast) of managed care, from January 1 1990 to June 30, 1997. The study found that early coverage focused on managed care as a business story, and later years focused more on patient care and concerns about backlash. Overall, the media was found to be neutral in its coverage of managed care, although network TV and special series in newspapers were mostly critical. TOPLINE Download CHARTPACK Download…

  • National Survey of Small Business Executives on Health Care

    Report

    A survey of 800 small business executives on their views on health care and the coverage they offer their employees. The survey also asked small employers how they feel about current proposals to protect consumers and regulate managed care. CHARTPACK Download TOPLINE Download NEWS RELEASE Download