Home Public Opinion Topics

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:
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.

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.

Latest News

More KFF Health News

Stay informed.

Get KFF's latest on Public Opinion

Stay informed.

Get KFF's latest on Public Opinion

View the Latest: Public Opinion

Filter

List Grid

711-720 of 1,865 results

  • The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Long-Term Prescription Painkiller Users and Their Household Members

    Report

    This partnership poll from The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the long-term use of prescription painkillers by exploring the views and experiences of adults 18 and over who they themselves, or a household member, have taken strong prescription painkillers for a period of two months or more at some time in the past two years, other than to treat pain from cancer or terminal illness. The survey takes a closer look at…

  • After the Election, the Public Remains Sharply Divided on Future of the Affordable Care Act

    News Release

    Among Those Who Favor Repeal, Arguments About Loss of Coverage for Those with Pre-Existing Conditions Can Sway Some Opinions Many Obamacare Provisions Remain Broadly Popular Across Party Lines, But Not its Mandate The first Kaiser Health Tracking Poll since the 2016 election finds that Americans are largely divided on the future of the Affordable Care Act even though many of the law’s major provisions remain quite popular across party lines. The new survey finds that…

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: November 2016

    Feature

    The November Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, conducted one week after the 2016 presidential election, finds health care played a limited role in voters’ 2016 election decisions. While President-elect Trump and Republican lawmakers have made it clear that one of their top priorities is the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the survey finds Americans are divided on what they want to see lawmakers do to the health care law. This survey also finds that many…

  • Public Ranks Drug Costs and Sufficient Provider Networks Ahead of Affordable Care Act Changes as Health Care Priorities for Next President and Congress to Address

    News Release

    As the 2016 campaign nears its end, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll examines the public’s view on health care priorities for the next president and Congress. Overall, Americans rank addressing high prescription drug costs and ensuring adequate provider networks in insurance plans among their top health care priorities. Health care itself is not playing a major role in the election, as the poll finds the candidates’ characteristics, the economy and jobs, and foreign policy…

  • Data Note: Americans’ Opinions of the Affordable Care Act

    Feature

    In advance of the Affordable Care Act’s fourth open enrollment period beginning on November 1st, this Data Note examines the public’s views on the 2010 health care law, including which groups are perceived as better and worse off as a result and what sources individuals go to for information about the legislation.

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: October 2016

    Feature

    This month’s Kaiser Health Tracking Poll examines top issues to voters in the presidential election and finds that while health care ranks low, voters report being aware of the differences between Clinton’s and Trump’s health care proposals. Findings also include a look at which health care issues the next president and Congress should prioritize, the future of the Affordable Care Act, as well as Americans’ views on the creation of a public health insurance option.

  • Poll: More Americans in Southern States Taking Zika Precautions

    News Release

    As part of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s ongoing efforts to track the public’s knowledge of the Zika virus outbreak and attitudes towards Zika-related issues, the September Kaiser Health Tracking Poll examines whether the public is taking precautions in order to protect themselves from getting Zika. The poll finds people in the South are more likely to report taking action to reduce the number of mosquitoes in and around their homes. For example, a larger share…

  • What Does the Public Know and Think About Zika?

    Feature

    This slideshow provides an aggregated summary of Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest poll findings on the Zika virus. Results include how much Americans know about the virus, how worried they are about it, and what role they believe the government should be playing to fight its spread.

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: September 2016

    Report

    The September Kaiser Health Tracking Poll takes a look at the public's attitudes on several major health policy issues including prescription drugs costs and the ACA. In addition, the poll explores how important health care issues are to voters during the 2016 presidential election.