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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401-410 of 1,869 results

  • KFF/Post Survey Reveals the Serious Mental Health Challenges Facing Frontline Health Care Workers a Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic

    News Release

    8 in 10 Say Potentially Being Exposed to COVID-19 at Work and Putting Family Members at Risk are Sources of Stress About 1 in 6 Tested Positive for COVID-19, though Few Experienced Major Symptoms; Those Working in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities Most Likely to Report Testing Positive More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of frontline health care workers say the crisis is taking a toll on their mental health,…

  • KFF/The Washington Post Frontline Health Care Workers Survey

    Poll Finding

    This partnership survey with The Washington Post examines the experiences and attitudes of frontline health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic that overwhelmed many health care settings. With three COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed to adults across the country, this project takes a look at the toll of the last year on frontline health care workers, including a look at the impact on their mental health and well being.

  • Vaccine Monitor: 6 in 10 Adults Have Either Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine or Want To “as Soon as Possible;” “Wait and See” Group Continues To Shrink

    News Release

    Among Those Who Have Not Been Vaccinated, 3 in 10 Are Unsure if They are Eligible Yet; Hispanic Adults and People with Low Incomes More Likely to Be Unsure The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report finds enthusiasm for getting a COVID-19 vaccine continuing to grow, with roughly 6 in 10 adults (61%) now saying they have already gotten at least one dose (32%) or want to get vaccinated as soon as they can (30%).…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: March 2021

    Poll Finding

    This Vaccine Monitor finds a growing share of U.S. adults say they have already gotten at least one dose of the vaccine or want to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It explores vaccine intentions, information gaps, vaccine brand preferences, and tests a variety of potential incentives, messages, and pieces of information that might be used to increase vaccination uptake.

  • KFF/Post Survey of Frontline Health Care Workers Finds Nearly Half Remain Unvaccinated

    News Release

    As of early March, just over half (52%) of frontline health care workers say they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving 48% who have not, a new KFF/The Washington Post national survey of health care workers finds. Most who work in hospitals (66%) and outpatient clinics (64%) say they have received a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to half who work in doctors’ offices (52%) or in nursing homes or assisted care…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBT People

    News Release

    The latest report from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and finds that larger shares of LGBT adults report economic losses and mental health struggles than their non-LGBT counterparts. Based on data gathered on self-identified LGBT and non-LGBT individuals over two months, some of the key differences include: Economic impact. Most LGBT adults say that they or a household…

  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBT People

    Poll Finding

    This analysis examines the reported experiences among self-identified LGBT individuals based two months of KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor reports and finds that LGBT people have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic differently than non-LGBT people, including being harder hit in some areas.

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor Probes Americans’ Experiences Trying to Sign Up for a Vaccine and to Find Relevant Information

    News Release

    Many Relied on Another Person’s Help to Try to Get a Vaccine Appointment As many states and local authorities ramp up their COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report provides the first in-depth look at Americans’ experiences trying to gather relevant information and sign up to get vaccinated. The report shows that many older Americans have been able to navigate the system successfully to get vaccinated, though a significant minority are frustrated…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Experiences With Vaccine Access And Information Needs

    Poll Finding

    This report shows about half over the age of 65 say they have already received at least one dose of the vaccine or have scheduled an appointment to do so. It also examines how easy or difficult it has been for people to get an appointment and information about the vaccine, and where the public would most like to receive it.

  • KFF Tracking Poll: More Than a Third of Americans Say They’ve Struggled to Pay Living Expenses Since December; 6 in 10 Families Hit by COVID Have Lost A Job or Income

    News Release

    Majorities Favor Provisions to Expand Marketplace Tax Credits and Encourage States to Expand Medicaid As Congress considers an additional $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, more than a third (37%) of Americans say that someone in their household has had trouble paying basic living expenses over the past three months, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. This includes nearly 1 in 4 (23%) who say they have fallen behind on their credit card bills, and…