With simply 5 weeks remaining till the election of the forty seventh U.S. president, greater than half of Individuals 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 bunch of nonprofits targeted on growing 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 revealed Sept. 30. Roughly 1,300 individuals 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 controversy.
Survey contributors 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%
- Lowering the price of well being care: 57%
- Reducing drug prices: 47%
- Insurance policies associated to psychological well being care entry: 43%
“Individuals stay involved over excessive well being care costs and the way forward for Medicare and Social Safety—although different points dominate throughout this election cycle,” Timothy Lash, president of the West Well being Coverage Heart, stated in a information launch in regards to the ballot. “That is very true for older Individuals, a major voting bloc.”
Majority of Democrats, Republicans need to defend Medicare
What respondents thought of to be the one most essential situation and among the many most essential well being care points various by age and political occasion.
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 situation, adopted by almost three-fourths (73%) of these ages 50 to 64 and half (50%) of these below 50. Although the problem was most essential to Democrats (73%), it additionally mattered to majorities of Republicans (58%) and independents (61%).
Folks 65 and older had been probably 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 probably 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 situation.
Well being care not getting sufficient election protection—particularly to Dems
With so many insurance policies—from reasonably priced housing to training and immigration—on the forefront of the struggle between Trump and Harris, most Individuals (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 probably to say well being care was getting “the correct quantity of consideration” (35%) or “an excessive amount of consideration” (12%).
“Individuals throughout all political stripes need to know the place candidates stand on these important points and don’t suppose they’ve heard sufficient but,” Lash stated. “It will likely be attention-grabbing to see how the candidates and political events handle this.”
Republicans, independents extra pessimistic about well being care affordability
Simply as Democrats had been probably to say lowering the price of well being care is a prime situation, they had been additionally probably to say entry to reasonably priced well being care will enhance inside 5 years. Greater than half (58%) stated enchancment was “very” or “considerably” seemingly.
A couple of third of independents (36%) confirmed the identical optimism, as did a fair smaller proportion of Republicans (30%). Total, greater than half of respondents (59%) stated 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 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 situation.
Whereas independents favored Harris, significantly in relation to defending or strengthening Medicare, a couple of third don’t belief both candidate. Independents confirmed probably the most mistrust (37%) within the candidates’ talents to extend the standard of well being care.
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