What They Are Saying: Government-Controlled Health Care Is Not Up for Debate in 2024 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the 2024 election cycle ramps up and convention season gets underway, conversations about health care have shifted away from sweeping proposals like Medicare for All. Instead, voters and policymakers are increasingly exploring ways to build on our current health care system. 

The shift in health care policy priorities can be linked to the current mood, views, and opinions of American voters. Recent polling and news coverage suggest that:  

• “Inflation and rising health care costs have voters looking for immediate pocketbook relief rather than a time-consuming reordering of the health care system.” (Axios, 3/20/24) 

• Recent polling also shows that voter satisfaction with our current health care system overall has increased by seven points since November 2023. (Voter Vitals, 2/29/24)  

• The cost of government-run health care continues to concern voters, with 81% expressing unease about the high price tag of many government-run health insurance proposals. (Voter Vitals, 2/29/24) 

This change in dialogue around health care policy also appears in lawmakers’ 2024 policy agendas, as reported by POLITICO, Axios, and NBC News: 

• “The Congressional Progressive Caucus [CPC] is spelling out the domestic policies they want to enact if Democrats are in power next year… What’s not in the agenda: Medicare for All.” (POLITICO, 4/18/24)  

• The CPC’s omission of Medicare for All serves as “an acknowledgement [that] there’s no immediate path for a single-payer system long supported by progressives.” (Axios, 5/13/24) 

• Their policy agenda also “aligns more closely with Biden’s vision for incremental health reforms,” instead of pushing for sweeping health care reforms. (Axios, 5/13/24) 

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair, noted that “the way we came to this agenda is to say that we were going to put into this agenda things that were populist and possible.” (NBC News, 4/18/24)  

As discussions about health care policy continue to evolve in 2024, it is important to note that a strong body of evidence – including recent research and polling – demonstrates that voters prefer to build on our current health care system, rather than start over from scratch with government-run health care proposals, like Medicare for All or the public option.  

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