Recent polls have made one thing glaringly clear: Americans are fed up with the soaring costs of health care. After Donald Trump and Republicans made the largest cuts to health care in history, slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, out-of-pocket costs have skyrocketed, insurers have pulled out of markets, and families have been left scrambling to find plans they can actually afford.
Meanwhile, communities all across the country are losing lifesaving care, as clinics, hospitals, and critical providers are facing cuts, decreasing services, or closing their doors altogether. When Trump and Republicans decided to put their billionaire friends ahead of working families, they knowingly plunged our country into a health care crisis — and instead prioritized billions for Trump’s gold-plated ballroom, bombs, and more billionaire tax breaks. Polls show that in November, voters will demand relief from the crisis Trump and Republicans created.
Latest Axios-Ipsos Poll Reveals Health Care Affordability Will be Pivotal in the Midterm Elections. A majority of Americans say they’re more likely to vote for candidates that support lowering health care costs.
- Roughly 6 in 10 respondents supported reinstating the enhanced ACA subsidies that Congress allowed to expire at the end of last year.
- 72% said they’re very or somewhat concerned about the potential for their insurance costs rising this year.
A New Survey from The Century Foundation Finds That a Supermajority of Americans Are Calling for Major Health Care Reform.
- More than half of voters have taken steps to manage rising health care costs over the past year, such as delaying or avoiding going to the doctor’s office or taking on medical or credit card debt
- The Century Foundation poll found only 1 in 5 voters said Trump’s health care policies “have improved health care and should be kept,” including 2 in 5 Republicans
- Only about 1 in 4 voters said the current health care system is “basically working” but needs greater accountability to lower costs.
Last Week, Gallup Released a New Poll Revealing That Fewer Than Half of Americans Could Consistently Afford Their Health Care.
The numbers are devastating:
- 51% of Americans lack access to quality, affordable care or can’t pay for needed care/medicine
- Nearly 3 million more people can’t afford care compared to 2024
- Only 38% of Black Americans and 32% of Hispanic Americans have affordable access to care
- Health care affordability dropped 12% for women since 2022
- Young adults (18-29) have seen the largest drop — affordability down 14% since 2021
- More than half of adults with chronic conditions can’t afford their care
- 6 in 10 adults with anxiety and depression struggle to pay for health care
Focus Groups from The Working Class Project Show that Health Care is Top of Mind.
According to The Working Class Project, health care is the most impactful issue in moving “soft partisan” voters, as their families, friends, and neighbors feel the squeeze of rising costs and witness hospital closures in their communities.
- “The cuts to Medicare and Medicaid are terrifying, because children and people with special needs depend on that to survive. Seniors are getting older and with less money and disposable income, and so they need affordable housing. They need access to medical care. Our rural communities are losing hospitals.” – White woman in Iowa
- “Why are we giving the tax breaks to the rich, the elite, the ones that don’t have a care in the world?… Why give them tax breaks and take away from the poor folks, the working class, the ones that are barely surviving?” – White voter in Georgia