Medicare for All gains support as 2026 candidates focus on healthcare costs

Healthcare costs remain a leading economic concern for voters heading into the 2026 election, according to a KFF Health Tracking Poll cited by the Boston Herald and Wilkes-Barre Citizen Voice. The poll found that 6 in 10 voters worry about affording healthcare, and nearly half consider healthcare costs extremely important for candidates to address.

Candidates in the 2026 election are framing healthcare issues with a populist approach, emphasizing not just access but affordability and who benefits from high costs. Three main messages have emerged in campaigns: Medicare for All, lowering healthcare costs, and taking on Big Pharma.

Medicare for All refers to a single-payer or universal government-sponsored system modeled on Medicare, which currently serves older Americans and other eligible groups. The KFF poll shows two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for All, with highest support among Democrats (84%), followed by independents (72%) and Republicans (34%).

Proposals vary but typically include comprehensive coverage with low or no premiums, deductibles, or copays, and increased government leverage to negotiate prescription drug prices. Supporters argue it would make healthcare more affordable and accessible, while opponents warn of higher taxes, impacts on private insurance, and potential longer wait times.

The broader slogan of lowering healthcare costs allows candidates to propose measures without overhauling the system, such as reducing premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and drug prices, increasing price transparency, expanding health savings accounts, or targeting insurers and middlemen. Taking on Big Pharma is shorthand for addressing pharmaceutical industry practices contributing to high costs.