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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  • The Kaiser/Harvard Health News Index, January/February 1998

    Poll Finding

    Health News Index January/February, 1998 The January/February 1998 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Health News Index includes questions about major health issues covered in the news, including questions on Abortion, Medicare and Health Care Costs. The survey was based on a national random sample of 1,209 Americans conducted February 13-17, 1998 which measures public knowledge of health stories covered by the news media during the previous month. The Health News Index is designed to…

  • Emergency Contraception: All Talk and No Action?

    Other Post

    The Entertainment Media as "Sex Educators?" And, Other Ways Teens Learn About Sex, Contraception, STDs, and AIDS June 24, 1996 What Sources Do Teenagers Rely on for Information About Sex and Birth Control? According to a 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of teens, teens say they currently get information about sex and birth control from a variety of sources including: their parents (72%); teachers, school nurses, or sex education classes (69%); their friends (other than…

  • Emergency Contraception

    Other Post

    Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in the United States The Changing Face of Teen Sexual Activity and Unplanned Pregnancy Over the past two decades, the pregnancy rate among sexually experienced teenage girls aged 15-19 has declined by 19%, indicating that many are doing a better job at using contraception. But, because the percentage of teens who have had sex has been steadily increasing at the same time, in real terms, the problem of teen pregnancy…

  • Emergency Contraception: All Talk and No Action?

    Other Post

    Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception The 1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception examined public knowledge and attitudes regarding unplanned pregnancy and contraception, with a particular focus on emergency contraceptive pills. The survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Kaiser Family Foundation, consisted of telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1000 women and 300 men aged 18 to 44 years old living in telephone households in the continental…

  • Emergency Contraception: All Talk and No Action?

    Fact Sheet

    A fact sheet, Q&A and resource list prepared for a briefing held for journalists in New York City on December 18, 1997 in New York City as part of a joint program by The Alan Guttmacher Institute, The Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Press Foundation. This program focused on efforts to break through barriers to emergency contraception, as well as future opportunities for expanding access. New surveys conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation of…

  • National Survey of Americans and Health Care Providers on Emergency Contraception

    Other Post

    1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception Conducted for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation By Princeton Survey Research Associates Topline For Men May 13-May 26, 1997 Introduction: Hello, my name is _____, and I'm calling from Princeton Survey Research of Princeton, New Jersey. We are conducting a confidential national opinion survey about some important health issues. N = 300 men, age 18-44 Margin of error: plus or minus 5 percent *…

  • National Survey of Americans and Health Care Providers on Emergency Contraception – Toplines/Survey

    Other Post

    1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception Conducted for the Henry J. Kaiser Family FoundationBy Princeton Survey Research Associates Topline (pdf) Methodology Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception The 1997 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Americans on Emergency Contraception examined public knowledge and attitudes regarding unplanned pregnancy and contraception, with a particular focus on emergency contraceptive pills. The survey, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Kaiser Family Foundation, consisted of telephone…

  • National Survey of Americans on AIDS/HIV

    Other Post

    Now I have just a few background questions so we'll know something about the people taking part in the survey... 51. I'm going to read you a list of things some people do about government or politics. Many people haven't done any of these things. As I read each one, please tell me if this is something you have done in the past 12 months. (First,) in the past 12 months have you...(read and rotate)…