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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

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

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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  • COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents Have Declined Markedly Following the Introduction of Vaccines

    News Release

    The number of residents contracting and dying of COVID-19 in nursing homes has declined markedly following the introduction of vaccination efforts in long-term care facilities, a KFF analysis finds. Resident deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes have decreased by two-thirds (66%) since vaccination efforts began in late December. New cases of the novel coronavirus among residents have fallen even more sharply, by 83 percent. At the same time, deaths from COVID-19 in the general population…

  • Growing Gaps in COVID-19 Vaccinations among Hispanic People

    Policy Watch

    This policy watch piece highlights the potential challenges surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations among Hispanic people, whose health and finances have been extremely hard hit by the pandemic. Low rates of vaccination among Hispanic people would leave them at increased risk for the virus, could further widen existing health disparities, and would leave gaps that hinder our ability to achieve overall population immunity.

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among Black Women and Men

    News Release

    The latest from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that Black men (45%) and women (41%) are more likely than other groups to want to “wait and see” how the COVID-19 vaccine works for others before getting it themselves, making them a key target for public health officials seeking to boost vaccination rates equitably. This analysis explores similarities and differences in the attitudes of Black men and women toward COVID-19 vaccination. Highlights include: Providing accurate…

  • Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among Black Women And Men

    Poll Finding

    This analysis examines Black adults’ attitudes, concerns, and intentions regarding a COVID-19 vaccine. While Black men and women are similar in many of their views, there is a gender gap in some COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and intentions.

  • Reasons Vary Why People Want to “Wait and See” Before Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine.

    News Release

    Nearly a third (31%) of the public says they want to “wait and see” how a COVID-19 vaccine works for others before they would get it, representing a critical group for efforts aimed at boosting vaccinations. The latest analysis from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor highlights how attitudes differ by partisan identification and race and ethnicity in ways that could affect what vaccination messages are most persuasive to subgroups. For example: Republicans and Republican-leaning independents…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: What Do We Know About Those Who Want to “Wait and See” Before Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine?

    Poll Finding

    Thirty-one percent of the public wants to “wait and see” how the COVID-19 vaccine is working for other people before getting vaccinated themselves. While they share a similar level of vaccine hesitancy, this group is not monolithic in their attitudes and beliefs. This brief examines how people with different partisan identities and those belonging to different racial and ethnic groups differ in their levels of concern about the vaccine and may respond differently to messages…

  • How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting People’s Mental Health and Substance Use

    News Release

    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, about 4 in 10 adults nationwide have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder – a four-fold increase from pre-pandemic levels. Drawing on the latest national survey data, KFF polling and other research, an updated brief explores what’s known about the pandemic’s impact on people’s mental health and substance use and its implications for Americans’ well-being. Among the key conclusions:   • Young adults have been especially…

  • KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: In Their Own Words

    Poll Finding

    This report summarizes the public’s response to a series of open-ended questions aimed at better understanding people’s concerns around receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and the views of the messages and messengers that could affect their willingness to get one,

  • In Their Own Words: What People are Saying about Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

    News Release

    As the country broadens COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts, the latest research from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that side effects, including allergic reactions and long-term consequences, are the public’s top concern about getting vaccinated when asked to describe what worries them in their own words. The latest report from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor summarizes the public’s response to a series of open-ended questions aimed at better understanding people’s concerns around receiving a COVID-19…