High Health Care Costs, Unreasonable Hospital Prices Top Voter Concerns in New National Poll as Midterm Elections Inch Closer

08.19.2026 / Press Release

Key findings include overwhelming concern about health care costs; strong opposition to Medicaid cuts; strong bipartisan concern with hospital prices; and deep skepticism about the Administration's arguments on coverage losses.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A national poll released by Families USA shows that high health care costs, including unreasonably high hospital prices, are top of mind for voters this summer as members of Congress are now back in their districts facing their constituents. A July 2026 survey of 1,000 registered voters also found that voters on both sides of the aisle are opposed to federal Medicaid cuts enacted last year by a two-to-one margin, with a majority of voters strongly opposed to cuts.

"Americans may be divided on a lot, but they are in overwhelming agreement that Congress must act to take on the high cost of health care and out of control hospital prices. In a nation divided on seemingly everything, Americans are largely united in their opposition to Medicaid cuts and their anger about health care prices that are not just high but inflated and irrational," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA. "These poll results couldn't be clearer - Congress must cut costs, not care. Instead of slashing safety net programs that help millions of Americans afford care, Congress should focus on addressing the root cause of rising costs - corporate health systems overcharging patients. The public is so far ahead of the politicians on this issue of taking on health care costs."

The poll shows 94% of voters believe it is important for the President and Congress to take action to lower health care costs, with 74% calling it very important. This is up even from September 2025 when a Families USA poll found that 91% of voters wanted action on health care costs. The cost of health care is the top issue for voters across the political spectrum, above housing costs, immigration, jobs and the economy, and crime. The poll found that 81% of voters found the fees and prices charged by hospitals are unreasonable, including 58% saying they are very unreasonable.

The survey also asked about the arguments in the Trump administration's recent report that attributed the significant drop in ACA enrollment to fraudulent and phantom enrollment in the ACA individual insurance marketplaces. Notably, the majority of respondents still thought that people losing coverage was bad news, and the result of rising costs - not fraud.

Key findings from the poll include:

On health care affordability:

• 94% say it's important for Congress and the President to take action to lower health care costs, including 74% who say it's very important and 20% who say it's fairly or somewhat important.
• Almost half - 47% - ranked the cost of health care as one of the two most important issues for Congress and the President to address; far exceeding other issues like cost of housing (34%); immigration (33%); taxes (20%); jobs and unemployment (15%).

On hospital pricing and consolidation:

• 81% say hospital prices are unreasonable compared to just 12% who call them reasonable - a near-consensus view that crosses party lines.
• The majority of voters - 58% - believe hospital consolidation is bad for consumers and leads to increased prices without improving care, by far the most common view. Just 6% of voters believe that a large hospital system acquiring an independent hospital would be good for consumers and improve care while lowering prices.

On cuts to Medicaid and the ACA marketplaces:

• Voters oppose Medicaid cuts by a two-to-one margin (60% to 30%) - and a majority (51%) say they are strongly opposed to these cuts.
• Only 38% of voters are aware of the impending Medicaid cuts. Another 38% said they aren't sure, while 24% incorrectly said that federal Medicaid funding would increase or stay the same. Rural voters who identify as Republican were the least likely to answer that Medicaid funding will decrease. This suggests that once the impact of the cuts is felt, opposition to the cuts will worsen further.
• A majority (51%) of voters believe that 4 million people losing their ACA enrollment coverage is bad news, and not a positive result of the government removing fraudulent ACA enrollees.