Health Care Costs Are Becoming a Bipartisan Issue

Key Takeaways

• A new University of Maryland poll found broad bipartisan support for reducing health care costs.

• Prescription drug pricing received some of the strongest support from both Republicans and Democrats.

• Voters also favored restoring enhanced ACA premium tax credits and expanding access to substance abuse treatment.

• The results suggest affordability may be replacing ideology as the driving issue in health care policy.

Why It Matters

Health care has long divided Congress, but voters appear to be finding common ground on cost.

A survey of more than 19,000 voters in competitive states and congressional districts found strong bipartisan support for several proposals aimed at making health care more affordable. Among the most popular were reducing prescription drug prices, restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, and expanding access to substance abuse treatment.

Support for some proposals, such as lowering the Medicare eligibility age and creating a public health insurance option, was also higher than many might expect—even among Republican respondents.

Of course, a poll measures public opinion, not the details of legislation. Voters may support the goal of lower costs while disagreeing about how to achieve it or how to pay for it.

My Perspective

This poll doesn’t show that Americans agree on health care policy. It suggests they increasingly agree on the problem.

For years, health care debates have centered on the size of government. As costs continue to rise, the conversation may be shifting toward affordability instead. How Congress responds will likely remain a matter of debate, but reducing health care costs appears to be one of the few issues attracting broad support across party lines.

Further Reading: https://reader.pagesuite.com/shortcode/LMCWIC/edition/96ca4d9d-ae68-66ef-90c1-2e770cc281b9?page=e0c6249f-60d9-c655-56ac-05f3bbbe2caf

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