KFF Health Tracking Poll – February 2020: Health Care in the 2020 Election

Key Findings:

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide today whether to take up Texas v. United States, which challenges the constitutionality of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). The February KFF Health Tracking Poll finds attitudes towards the ACA has hit its highest favorability since KFF began tracking opinions nearly ten years ago. The latest KFF poll finds a clear majority of the public viewing the law favorably (55%), while slightly more than one-third (37%) of the public hold unfavorable views.
The Affordable Care Act took center stage in the Nevada Democratic presidential debate with Vice President Biden attacking Mayor Bloomberg’s record on the ACA. Nearly nine in ten Democrats (85%) and Democratic voters (86%) view the ACA favorably and while most Republicans view the unfavorably, significantly fewer Republicans offer repealing the 2010 health reform law as their top health care issue. Voters, overall, and across party identification, prioritize other health care issues such as health care costs.
Health care remains a top issue for Democratic voters, independent voters, and the crucial group of voters who haven’t made up their minds yet – swing voters. More than one-third of Democratic voters (36%) say health care is the “most important” issue in their 2020 vote choice as do three in ten independent voters and 28% of swing voters. Yet, when asked what is the one thing that will motivate them to vote in 2020, a larger share of voters offer responses related to defeating President Trump and electing a Democrat than any issue, including health care. When voters who have decided to vote for the Democratic nominee are asked what is most important when choosing a Democratic candidate, a larger share say “a candidate with the best chance to defeat President Trump” (59%) than one “who comes closest to your views on issues” (39%).
Both a national Medicare-for-all plan and a government-administered public option continue to garner majority support in the KFF Health Tracking Polls, including large shares of Democrats who express positive attitudes towards both proposals. Yet, the public option holds the advantage over a national Medicare-for-all plan when supporters of both are forced to choose one. The public option garners more support among many key groups in the 2020 Democratic primary including swing voters (49% v. 25%).

Health Care Among Top Issues for Voters, But Trump Looms Large

More than eight months before the 2020 general presidential election, health care (26%) and the economy (23%) are the top issues that registered voters say will be most important in deciding their vote for president. This is followed by climate change (14%), foreign policy (13%), immigration (9%), taxes (7%), and international trade and tariffs (2%).