Voters Rate U.S. Healthcare Costs

A Change Research national survey of 2,045 registered voters, conducted August 8-13, 2026, finds that 61% of voters feel the quality of medical care in their area is excellent or good. However, 84% rate the cost of medical care in the United States as poor or not so good. 84% rate health insurance costs the same way, and 77% give the same rating to the cost of prescription drugs.

Quality and Access Ratings

61% of voters rate the quality of medical care available in their area as excellent or good. 52% rate how easy it is to find and get medical care as excellent or good, and 49% rate the experience of getting medical care as excellent or good.

The experience of using health insurance is rated less favorably. 60% of voters rate it as poor or not so good, and just 35% rate it as excellent or good. 54% of women rate the experience of getting medical care as poor or not so good, compared to 38% of men.

Healthcare Cost Ratings

84% of voters rate the cost of medical care as poor or not so good, and 84% say the same about health insurance costs, tied for the most negative rating of any aspect of the healthcare system we asked about. 77% rate the cost of prescription drugs as poor or not so good. For context: just 13% rate medical care costs as excellent or good, and 12% say the same about health insurance costs.

"Takes a large portion of paycheck for minimal benefits."

White/Caucasian Man, 50 to 64, Democrat

There is a modest partisan gap on cost. 91% of Democrats rate medical care costs as poor or not so good, compared to 76% of Republicans. The partisan gap is wider for prescription drug costs: 88% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans rate those as poor or not so good.

A Perception of Rising Costs and Delayed Care

69% of voters say what they or their family pays for health insurance has gone up this year: 39% say it has gone up a lot, and 30% say it has gone up a little. 44% of women say it has gone up a lot, compared to 34% of men.

52% of voters say they or someone in their household skipped or delayed medical care in the past year due to cost. The partisan gap on delayed care is smaller than on cost ratings: 56% of Democrats and 45% of Republicans say they or someone in their household skipped or delayed care in the past year.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health spending represented 18% of GDP in 2024.

"We're tired of choosing prescriptions or food."

White/Caucasian Man, 65+, Independent lean Democrat

Program and Institutional Favorability

At the time of this survey in August 2026, Medicare was viewed favorably by 55% of voters and unfavorably by 16%, for a net favorable rating of +39. 74% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans held a favorable view. Social Security was viewed favorably by 55% and unfavorably by 21%, for a net of +34.

“Medicare for all saves money while giving better health outcomes.”

White/Caucasian Woman, 35 to 49, Independent lean Democrat

Local hospitals and health systems were viewed favorably at similar rates by Republicans and Democrats: 53% of voters viewed them favorably and 20% unfavorably. 56% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans held a favorable view of local hospitals and health systems.

The American Heart Association and American Cancer Society held net favorable ratings of +37 and +34, respectively. Medicaid carried a net favorable rating of +23 and SNAP a net of +21, while both programs have partisan splits wider than those for Medicare. Blue Cross Blue Shield was the only private insurer we asked about, and has a net unfavorable rating: 27% of voters viewed it favorably and 29% unfavorably, with 30% neutral.

In Their Own Words

591 voters responded to the open question, "What's one thing about the U.S. health care system you wish politicians understood?" The cost of care (for both patients and employers) was the dominant theme, appearing in roughly half of all responses and cutting across party lines and every age group. About one in five responses focused on insurance companies overriding doctor decisions or prioritizing profit over patient care. The view that politicians hold better coverage than the constituents they represent appeared in about one in fifteen responses, drawing from voters across the political spectrum.

"People would rather go untreated in health than get stuck with an expensive bill. The average citizen cannot afford to get sick."

Hispanic/Latino Man, 18 to 34, Independent lean Democrat

"Small business can't afford coverage so employees are left with none."

White/Caucasian Woman, 35 to 49, Independent

"High cost and lack of access to quality healthcare can be a death sentence for some Americans."

White/Caucasian Woman, 18 to 34, Independent lean Democrat

"Members of Congress should pay what the rest of us pay for our healthcare."

White/Caucasian Woman, 65+, Republican

Methodology

Polling was conducted online from August 8 to 13, 2026. Using Dynamic Online Sampling to attain a representative sample, Change Research polled 2,045 registered voters nationally. The modeled margin of error is ±2.3 percentage points. As a member of AAPOR's Transparency Initiative, Change Research discloses all relevant details about our research, with the principle that the public should be able to evaluate and understand research-based findings in order to instill and restore public confidence in survey results.