With simply 5 weeks remaining till the election of the forty seventh U.S. president, greater than half of People say defending Medicare and lowering well being care prices are among the many most vital points influencing their selections on the poll field, a brand new survey finds. What’s extra, two-thirds of respondents assume well being care isn’t receiving sufficient consideration within the 2024 marketing campaign.
Analytics agency Gallup and West Well being, a bunch of nonprofits targeted on ageing and well being care, polled greater than 3,600 U.S. adults 18 and older on well being care points. The outcomes of the survey, given Sept. 9–16, have been revealed Sept. 30. Roughly 1,300 individuals have been surveyed after the Sept. 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, however the polling methodology signifies little variation in respondents’ attitudes earlier than and after the talk.
Survey contributors reported candidates’ positions on the next well being care points have been the “single most vital” or “among the many most vital” issue(s) in figuring out their vote for president on Nov. 5:
- Defending Medicare/Social Safety: 63%
- Lowering the price of well being care: 57%
- Reducing drug prices: 47%
- Insurance policies associated to psychological well being care entry: 43%
“People stay involved over excessive well being care costs and the way forward for Medicare and Social Safety—despite the fact that different points dominate throughout this election cycle,” Timothy Lash, president of the West Well being Coverage Middle, mentioned in a information launch in regards to the ballot. “That is very true for older People, a major voting bloc.”
Majority of Democrats, Republicans wish to defend Medicare
What respondents thought of to be the one most vital challenge and among the many most vital well being care points diversified by age and political celebration.
Maybe unsurprisingly, the significance of defending Medicare and Social Safety elevated with age, with the overwhelming majority of individuals 65 and older (84%) marking it a prime challenge, adopted by almost three-fourths (73%) of these ages 50 to 64 and half (50%) of these below 50. Although the problem was most vital to Democrats (73%), it additionally mattered to majorities of Republicans (58%) and independents (61%).
Folks 65 and older have been almost certainly to rank the opposite three problems with prime significance, too. They got here closest to a different age group in insurance policies associated to psychological well being care entry, with the oldest adults (44%) simply outpacing these below 50 (43%).
Democrats had essentially the most illustration in every of the 4 points, the very best being lowering the price of well being care (75%). Apart from defending Medicare and Social Safety, Republicans didn’t attain a majority in any class, the bottom being insurance policies associated to psychological well being care entry (30%). Impartial voters hovered between Republicans and Democrats on every challenge.
Well being care not getting sufficient election protection—particularly to Dems
With so many insurance policies—from reasonably priced housing to schooling and immigration—on the forefront of the battle between Trump and Harris, most People (67%) don’t assume well being care has been getting “sufficient consideration.”
The sample holds true for all events:
- Democrats: 78%
- Independents: 67%
- Republicans: 53%
Republicans, although, have been almost certainly to say well being care was getting “the correct quantity of consideration” (35%) or “an excessive amount of consideration” (12%).
“People throughout all political stripes wish to know the place candidates stand on these essential points and don’t assume they’ve heard sufficient but,” Lash mentioned. “It is going to be fascinating to see how the candidates and political events tackle this.”
Republicans, independents extra pessimistic about well being care affordability
Simply as Democrats have been almost certainly to say lowering the price of well being care is a prime challenge, they have been additionally almost certainly to say entry to reasonably priced well being care will enhance inside 5 years. Greater than half (58%) mentioned enchancment was “very” or “considerably” seemingly.
A couple of third of independents (36%) confirmed the identical optimism, as did a good smaller proportion of Republicans (30%). General, greater than half of respondents (59%) mentioned enchancment was “not very seemingly” or “not going in any respect.”
A 3rd of voters don’t belief Trump or Harris on well being care
As you may anticipate, Republicans have been most trusting of Trump on the well being care points polled, whereas Democrats have been most trusting of Harris and independents have been someplace in between—although Dems’ belief in Harris outweighed Republicans’ in Trump on every challenge.
Whereas independents favored Harris, notably on the subject of defending or strengthening Medicare, a few third don’t belief both candidate. Independents confirmed essentially the most mistrust (37%) within the candidates’ skills to extend the standard of well being care.
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