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 essential points influencing their decisions on the poll field, a brand new survey finds. What’s extra, two-thirds of respondents suppose well being care isn’t receiving sufficient consideration within the 2024 marketing campaign.
Analytics agency Gallup and West Well being, a gaggle of nonprofits targeted on getting old 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, had been printed Sept. 30. Roughly 1,300 folks had 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 individuals reported candidates’ positions on the next well being care points had been the “single most essential” or “among the many most essential” issue(s) in figuring out their vote for president on Nov. 5:
- Defending Medicare/Social Safety: 63%
- Decreasing the price of well being care: 57%
- Decreasing 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—though different points dominate throughout this election cycle,” Timothy Lash, president of the West Well being Coverage Middle, stated in a information launch concerning the ballot. “That is very true for older People, a big voting bloc.”
Majority of Democrats, Republicans need to shield Medicare
What respondents thought of to be the only most essential challenge and among the many most essential well being care points diverse by age and political social gathering.
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 high challenge, adopted by practically three-fourths (73%) of these aged 50 to 64 and half (50%) of these beneath 50. Although the difficulty was most essential to Democrats (73%), it additionally mattered to majorities of Republicans (58%) and independents (61%).
Individuals 65 and older had been almost certainly to rank the opposite three problems with high 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 beneath 50 (43%).
Democrats had essentially the most illustration in every of the 4 points, the 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 inexpensive housing to training and immigration—on the forefront of the struggle between Trump and Harris, most People (67%) don’t suppose well being care has been getting “sufficient consideration.”
The sample holds true for all events:
- Democrats: 78%
- Independents: 67%
- Republicans: 53%
Republicans, although, had been almost certainly to say well being care was getting “the correct amount of consideration” (35%) or “an excessive amount of consideration” (12%).
“People throughout all political stripes need to know the place candidates stand on these vital points and don’t suppose they’ve heard sufficient but,” Lash stated. “It is going to be fascinating to see how the candidates and political events handle this.”
Republicans, independents extra pessimistic about well being care affordability
Simply as Democrats had been almost certainly to say lowering the price of well being care is a high challenge, they had been additionally almost certainly to say entry to inexpensive well being care will enhance inside 5 years. Greater than half (58%) stated enchancment was “very” or “considerably” probably.
A few third of independents (36%) confirmed the identical optimism, as did an excellent smaller proportion of Republicans (31%). General, greater than half of respondents (59%) stated enchancment was “not very probably” or “not going in any respect.”
A 3rd of voters don’t belief Trump or Harris on well being care
As you would possibly count on, Republicans had been most trusting of Trump on the well being care points polled, whereas Democrats had been most trusting of Harris and independents had 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 couple of 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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