Support for Medicare for All reaches 66% in new KFF poll ahead of 2026 midterms

A KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, shows support for Medicare for All has reached a record 66% ahead of the 2026 midterms, driven by rising healthcare costs. While 60% of voters worry about affordability, deep partisan divides persist: 84% of Democrats favor the single-payer plan, while 66% of Republicans oppose it. Voters trust Democrats over Republicans on healthcare costs by a 42% to 22% margin, as candidates clash over the policy's multi-trillion-dollar cost.

Medicare for All polling surge

• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that 32% of respondents strongly favored a single-payer national health plan, 34% somewhat supported it, 15% somewhat opposed it, and 19% strongly opposed it.
• ▪A KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that 66% of U.S. adults support a national health plan, commonly referred to as Medicare for All, up from 53% in October 2020.
• ▪According to the KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, support for Medicare for All drops to 52% if the plan eliminates private health insurance companies, compared to 37% in October 2020.
• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, showed that support for Medicare for All increases to 76% when respondents are told it guarantees health insurance as a right, and to 75% if it eliminates premiums.
• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, showed that opposition to Medicare for All reaches 76% if it causes treatment delays, 64% if it causes tax hikes, and 61% if it threatens the current Medicare system.

Healthcare affordability concerns

• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that 47% of voters state that it is extremely important for candidates in the 2026 midterm elections to discuss the cost of healthcare.
• ▪The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 30 million U.S. residents will be uninsured in 2026, up from 26.6 million in 2025, due to declining federal funding for Affordable Care Act plans and Medicaid.
• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that 60% of voters are worried about affording their healthcare costs, ranking healthcare costs alongside gas prices as a top affordability concern.
• ▪A Yale University preprint study estimated that implementing Medicare for All would cost $4.2 trillion per year but would save approximately $1 trillion in overall healthcare spending.

Democratic advantage on healthcare trust

• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, shows that voters trust Democrats over Republicans on addressing healthcare costs by a 42% to 22% margin, an increase from the 37% to 26% margin in April 2026.
• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that independent voters trust the Democratic Party over the Republican Party to address healthcare costs by a 38% to 9% margin.

Partisan divisions on healthcare reform

• ▪Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced the Medicare for All Act in April 2025 with 117 House Democratic co-sponsors, which was opposed by Republican lawmakers who argued it was too radical.
• ▪Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has campaigned on Medicare for All, arguing the policy would lower healthcare costs and expand coverage.
• ▪Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers opposes Medicare for All, arguing it would cost $4 trillion annually and force millions of residents to lose their private health insurance.
• ▪The KFF poll released on October 6, 2026, found that 84% of Democrats and 72% of independents favor Medicare for All, while 66% of Republicans oppose it.

Trump administration healthcare policy impact

• ▪Enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans in Michigan declined after the Republican-led Congress allowed enhanced tax subsidies to expire at the end of 2025, leading to average rate hikes of 20%.
• ▪An estimated 355,000 residents in Michigan are projected to lose Medicaid coverage in 2028 due to cuts in the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.