Recent national polling confirms that health care affordability is a monumental concern for Americans, who view the current health insurance system as insufficient and ineffective, especially in preventing medical debt.
Disputes over healthcare are directly linked to the ongoing government shutdown, which is leaving millions anxious about rising premiums with no sign of a deal or solution in place.
The polling paints a picture of a country where there is deep dissatisfaction not only with the political handling of the issues but with overall healthcare and, in particular, health insurance system as a whole.
While as always, it should be remembered that polling on issues often reflects the goals of the organizations carrying out or funding the polling, the overall picture is undeniable — Americans are not happy with the system of delivering health that they currently have to endure.
And it matters to be people. A lot.
Health care is considered an “extremely” or “very” important issue by 81% of U.S. adults, placing it nearly equal to the economy as a top priority, according to an AP-NORC poll. The consensus on the problem is widespread, fueled by cost concerns and deep dissatisfaction with insurance coverage.
Affordability and Debt: A significant majority of voters (69%) believe that health care is currently not affordable, according to the Undue Medical Debt/PerryUndem Poll. The same poll found that 35% of participants reported currently owing money or having debt due to medical or dental expenses.
As a result, 35% of respondents admitted to skipping or delaying medical care in the past year due to fears of accruing debt, according to the same poll.
About 6 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their health costs rising in the next year, reports AP-NORC.
Blame and System Change: When seeking fault for medical debt, voters overwhelmingly point to insurance companies (63%), according to the Undue Medical Debt/PerryUndem Poll. Reflecting deep dissatisfaction with employer-tied plans, 76% of voters agree the U.S. needs to switch to a different health insurance system that does not tie coverage to employment.
Support for the ACA Marketplaces and Subsidies: The ACA Marketplaces hold a favorable view among 70% of adults, according to the KFF Health Tracking Poll. Crucially, more than three-quarters (78%) of adults say Congress should extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that are set to expire, according to the KFF Health Tracking Poll. This support includes majorities across party lines: 92% of Democrats, 82% of independents, and 59% of Republicans.
Political Gridlock and Trust: Most U.S. adults disapprove of President Trump’s handling of health care, including about 8 in 10 independents and approximately one-third of Republicans, according to the AP-NORC poll. Furthermore, 43% of likely voters blame President Trump and Republicans in Congress the most for the ongoing government shutdown, according to Data for Progress/Navigator Polling.
Summary of Recent Polling on American Healthcare Views
KFF Health Tracking Poll (Published October 3, 2025)
The KFF Health Tracking Poll focused primarily on the potential expiration of enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) for the ACA Marketplace.
Once the public is told that the subsidy expiration date is looming, 78% of adults say Congress should extend the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their own insurance through the ACA Marketplace.
The KFF Health Tracking Poll notes that majorities across political parties, including 57% of Republicans who align with the MAGA movement, support extending these subsidies.
If the credits are not extended, 86% of adults say they would be concerned that health insurance would become unaffordable for many people who buy their own coverage, and 86% are concerned that 4 million people would lose their health insurance coverage.
Among those who buy their own insurance, seven in ten say they could not pay the higher premiums if the monthly cost nearly doubled without significantly disrupting their household finances.
Regarding blame, if Congress does not extend the credits, about four in ten adults blame President Trump (39%) and another four in ten (37%) blame Republicans in Congress.
Undue Medical Debt / PerryUndem Poll (Reported October 27, 2025)
This poll highlighted the financial devastation caused by the U.S. health system, sponsoring a national survey of 1,319 voters.
The Undue Medical Debt/PerryUndem Poll found that 69% of voters believe health care is not affordable today.
Voters expressed that insurance is failing to protect them from medical debt (74% agreed with this statement, according to comments on the poll’s findings).
A vast majority of participants (63%) blamed insurance companies the most for medical debt, followed distantly by pharmaceutical companies (12%) and hospitals (9%).
76% of voters surveyed agreed that the country needs to switch to a different health insurance system that allows people to change jobs or become self-employed without worrying about losing their health insurance.
AP-NORC Poll (Reported October 21, 2025)
The AP-NORC poll emphasized the high level of anxiety surrounding costs and the importance of the issue in Washington.
About 6 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their health costs increasing in the next year and health care is highly important to 81% of U.S. adults.
The AP-NORC poll found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults trust Democrats more to handle health care, compared to one-quarter who trust Republicans more.
Furthermore, about half of independents trust neither party on the issue.
Most U.S. adults disapprove of President Trump’s handling of health care, including roughly 8 in 10 independents and about one-third of Republicans, based on the AP-NORC poll results.
Data for Progress / Navigator Polling (Conducted October 22-23, 2025)
This poll focused on political accountability during the government shutdown related to health policy.
Data for Progress/Navigator Polling found that a total of 75% of likely voters are concerned about health insurance premiums rising this year. This concern is high among both Democrats (83%) and Republicans (69%).
Only 42% of voters believe President Trump and Republicans in Congress are focused on lowering health care costs for people like them and their family.
Data for Progress/Navigator Polling reported that 43% of likely voters blame President Trump and Republicans in Congress the most for the ongoing government shutdown, while 34% blame Democrats in Congress.
Axios-Ipsos Poll (Conducted October 10-13, 2025)
The Axios-Ipsos poll highlighted declining trust in leadership and public health institutions.
Americans who say the policies of President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made America less healthy (41%) now outnumber those who say they have made America healthier (19%) by more than 2-to-1, according to the Axios-Ipsos poll.
The Axios-Ipsos poll indicates that skepticism over child vaccine requirements has increased since Trump took office, with 26% of respondents favoring ending vaccination requirements for children to attend public schools, up from 19% in February.
One point of agreement across the board, according to the Axios-Ipsos poll, is the belief that there is too much information they cannot trust and that it should be easier to understand how to live healthy lives.