As Congressional Republicans weigh main cuts to Medicaid, most voters don’t wish to see the general public well being plan’s funding dialed again, based on a ballot launched Friday by KFF, a nonpartisan well being analysis agency.
Simply 17 p.c of respondents stated they supported cuts to Medicaid, the federal government medical insurance program that covers greater than 70 million folks. Forty p.c stated they wished to maintain spending unchanged, and 42 p.c stated they want it elevated.
However on the similar time, the ballot discovered vital help for sure insurance policies that might restrict this system, equivalent to requiring enrollees to work. Greater than 60 p.c of voters — and 47 p.c of Democrats — supported a piece requirement, the ballot discovered.
That change, which has been championed by some congressional Republicans, is estimated to chop about $100 billion from Medicaid, as those that had been unemployed — or couldn’t file the paperwork exhibiting that they had a job — would now not be coated. This system’s price was $584 billion in 2024, or about 8 p.c of whole federal spending.
The ballot additionally illustrated Medicaid’s vast attain, with simply over half of respondents saying that both they or a member of the family had at one level had Medicaid protection. There was almost common settlement that Medicaid mattered to voters’ native communities, with 98 p.c of Democrats and 94 p.c of Republicans saying they thought it was considerably or crucial.
Republicans in Congress are contemplating a number of adjustments to Medicaid as they search for methods to pay for President Trump’s tax cuts. Final month, the Home handed a funds that, if accepted by the Senate and signed by the president, may trim as a lot as $880 billion from this system over the following decade. That would occur with work necessities, caps on federal spending for this system, or lowering the share of prices the federal authorities pays.
Though ballot respondents had been typically in favor of labor necessities, they held misconceptions concerning the coverage: Sixty-two p.c of voters thought that the majority Medicaid enrollees are unemployed, when in actual fact a overwhelming majority have jobs.
Republican voters additionally expressed an openness to chopping funding for the Reasonably priced Care Act Medicaid enlargement. Proper now, the federal authorities pays 90 p.c of the prices for individuals within the enlargement, who are usually wholesome adults. That could be a increased share than what it covers for different enrollees, equivalent to youngsters or disabled folks.
Sixty-four p.c of Republican voters — and 40 p.c of voters general — stated they might help lowering the federal authorities’s contribution to Medicaid enlargement. Home Republicans proceed to weigh this feature, though Speaker Mike Johnson stated final week it was not on the desk.
Voters’ opinions on lowering Medicaid enlargement funding appeared malleable, nonetheless, within the face of further data.
When respondents got extra details about the coverage, together with the truth that hundreds of thousands may lose protection, Republican help fell to 43 p.c. However being informed that the change would reduce federal spending by about $600 billion elevated help to 73 p.c.
The polling seems just like what People felt throughout the Reasonably priced Care Act repeal debate in 2017, when Republicans did not roll again the regulation largely due to political opposition to Medicaid cuts. Again then, 70 p.c of voters supported work necessities and 36 p.c favored chopping Medicaid enlargement funding.
“Medicaid is a highly regarded program amongst a large swath of the general public together with Republicans,” stated Mollyann Brodie, KFF’s govt director of survey analysis.
However, she added, “opinions could possibly be shortly moved within the context of debate the place folks study extra data and really feel their protection is threatened.”
