VOTER VITALS November 2021 Edition – National Tracking Poll  

The November 2021 edition of Voter Vitals – a nationwide tracking poll conducted by Locust Street Group for the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future – shows that most voters are unwilling to pay any more in taxes or health care costs to create a new government-controlled health insurance system. The vast majority of voters prefer for lawmakers to build on our current health care system rather than create the public option, create a government-run plan for those in states that did not expand Medicaid, or open up Medicare to younger Americans.  

To address the Medicaid expansion gap, polling shows voters would far prefer to build on what’s working by providing subsidies for those in states that did not expand Medicaid to purchase coverage through the marketplace instead of creating a new government-controlled plan. 

FACTS

• Lowering COSTS (67 percent) remains the top health care priority for Democratic, swing, and Republican voters. 
• 75 percent of voters with health insurance coverage are SATISFIED with their coverage. 
• Support for government-run proposals remains LOW – including for Medicare for All (45 percent, +0 percent since August) and the public option (47 percent, +1 percent since August). 
• 65 percent prefer BUILDING ON our current system rather than creating the public option or opening up Medicare – including a majority of Democratic voters. 
• Voters prefer to build on what’s WORKING by providing subsidies for those in states that did not expand Medicaid to purchase coverage in the existing marketplace (57 percent) over creating a new government-run insurance plan (43 percent). 
• An increasing majority are CONCERNED about limiting access to quality care (74 percent, +3 percent since August), increasing payroll taxes (70 percent, +3 percent since August), and bankrupting the Medicare Trust Fund (70 percent, +3 percent since August) to expand Medicare. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

It’s clear that voters prefer to improve our current system where private coverage, Medicare and Medicaid work together rather than creating an unaffordable, government-controlled health insurance system, like the public option or opening up Medicare to younger Americans. Let’s build on what’s working in health care, not start over.  

To read previous editions of Voter Vitals, CLICK HERE.