The May 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 lowering costs continues to be voters’ top health care priority. The vast majority of voters also prefer for lawmakers to build on the current health care system rather than starting over by creating a new government-controlled health insurance system like the public option or with proposals that would open up Medicare to younger Americans.
THE FINDINGS:
- Lowering COSTS (64 percent) is the top health care priority for Democratic, Swing, and Republican voters.
- 76 percent of voters with health insurance coverage are SATISFIED with their coverage.
- More voters support FIXING what we have today (65 percent support) than the public option (49 percent support) and Medicare for All (47 percent support).
- 64 percent of voters would rather BUILD ON our current health care system than create the public option, and 70 percent are concerned about paying more in taxes to create it.
- 71 percent of voters are UNWILLING to pay any more for health care and 68 percent are UNWILLING to pay any more in taxes to create a new government health insurance system.
- The vast majority of voters are CONCERNED about limiting access to quality care (73 percent) and bankrupting the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (70 percent) to expand Medicare.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The May 2021 edition of Voter Vitals tracks closely with other national polling, including a recent Gallup survey, which found that 74 percent of Americans rate their health care coverage as excellent or good. We should build on what’s working in health care to ensure every American can access the affordable, high-quality health coverage and care they deserve – not start over by creating a new government-controlled health insurance system.