Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are now the presumptive nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties, and their respective records as president and their campaign platforms suggest very different visions for the future of U.S. health care. The new KFF Health Tracking Poll examines voters’ perspectives on the country’s major health and entitlement programs and how these align with the candidates’ approaches based on their track records, policy positions, and campaign trail statements.
According to the poll, President Joe Biden is heavily emphasizing efforts to reduce health care costs, particularly for senior citizens. However, many older voters remain unaware of the major provisions in the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act that aim to lower drug costs for Medicare enrollees. Despite the president and others in the administration repeatedly highlighting these measures, including in new ads, it seems that the message has not fully resonated with this key voting bloc.
The poll’s findings point to the significance of winning the support of senior citizens, who constitute a large and reliable voting group. With older voters closely split between Biden and former President Donald Trump, the need to correspondingly adjust the campaign’s messaging to effectively reach this demographic cannot be overstated.
While several other issues rank higher than health care in voters’ minds this election cycle, the poll underlines the continued relevance and impact of health care policy in shaping voter perceptions and preferences. As the presidential candidates interact with voters in the coming months, the insights from the KFF poll will play a crucial role in enabling the candidates to align their talking points with the concerns and expectations of the American electorate, ultimately influencing their voting decisions in the November election.
