Editor’s Note: This study was conducted in collaboration with West Health, a group of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on health care and aging.

WASHINGTON, DC – Health care issues, particularly those related to the cost and access of health care, are an important policy area for many American voters. But a new poll from West Health and Gallup shows that a majority of Americans say health care isn’t getting enough attention so far in the 2024 presidential campaign. The upcoming vice presidential debate provides a unique opportunity for the two campaigns to address these concerns and lay out their plans for health care policy.

The results reported here come from a study conducted September 9-16 over the Internet using the Gallup panel. 2,398 respondents were interviewed before the presidential debate on September 10th and 1,262 respondents afterward, for a total of 3,660 respondents. The attitudes reported here did not vary significantly between respondents interviewed before and after the debate.

1. Two in three Americans – including a majority of both political parties – say health care has not received enough attention in the presidential campaign.

Overall, 67% of U.S. adults say healthcare is not getting enough attention in the 2024 presidential campaign, while 6% say it is getting too much attention and 27% say it is getting the right amount of attention. Democrats and independents are more likely than Republicans to say health care isn’t getting enough attention in the current presidential campaign. However, more than half of Republicans (53%) agree that the issue is not receiving enough attention.

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Among respondents who said they watched the Sept. 10 presidential debate, a similar number (71%) said the candidates did not spend enough time on health-related topics during the debate. This is the opinion of 77% of Democrats, 74% of Independents and 57% of Republicans who watched the debate.

2. While independents have slightly more trust in Harris than Trump to act on key health issues, about a third say they trust neither candidate.

Americans’ trust in presidential candidates to address key issues related to the cost and quality of health care is declining depending on their political party. A clear majority of Republicans say Donald Trump is more confident in tackling these problems, while the vast majority of Democrats say Kamala Harris is. Political independents are slightly more likely to say they trust Harris more than Trump on these health issues. This is particularly true when it comes to improving access to care and insurance coverage and protecting or strengthening Medicare. On these two issues, independents are more than 10 percentage points more likely to say they trust Harris than Trump.

About a third or more of independents say they don’t trust either candidate on all health care issues surveyed, suggesting that a significant portion of potential swing voters feel cynical about both health care candidates.

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3. Nearly half of Americans say a candidate’s stance on lowering drug costs and mental health care policy are important factors in determining his or her vote in the upcoming election.

A candidate’s position on protecting Medicare and Social Security is the most important or one of the most important health-related issues for 63% of Americans in the upcoming presidential election, while a candidate’s position on reducing health care costs is crucial (57%). is just behind.

The importance of a candidate’s position on mental health care (43%) is almost as important as reducing drug costs (47%), as these are the top or most important issues that determine their vote. This reflects Americans’ general dissatisfaction with this issue area, as 73% say the government is not doing enough to ensure the public has access to affordable mental health care.

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4. Protecting Medicare and reducing drug costs are among the top issues older Americans care about when deciding how to vote.

The importance of certain health issues in a person’s choice differs between older and younger Americans. Americans ages 65 and older are much more likely than those ages 18 to 49 to say that a candidate’s positions on protecting Medicare and Social Security and reducing drug costs are the most important issues or the single most important issue in deciding their vote to count. Conversely, younger and older voters place roughly equal importance on a candidate’s positions on reducing health care costs and his mental health care policies.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans and independents to say that various health-related issues are at least among the most important when it comes to their vote in the upcoming election. When it comes to the importance of these issues, independents fall roughly between Republicans and Democrats.

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Age differences can be seen within the party groups. When it comes to protecting Medicare and Social Security, 74% of Republicans over 65 and 68% of those ages 50 to 64 say it is the most important or one of the most important issues determining their vote, compared to 40% of Republicans in the Ages 18 to 64 49. Likewise, 94% of Democrats ages 65 and older and 85% of those ages 50 to 64 say it is the most important or one of the most important issues, compared to 58% of Democrats in the Ages 18 to 49 years old. Independents follow the same pattern.

5. Democrats are much more optimistic than Republicans and independents about improving access to affordable health care over the next five years.

The latest numbers from the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index show that just over half of the American population says they can now pay for medications or health care when they need it. In 2022, the peak was 61%.

When asked how likely access to affordable health care is to improve over the next five years, Democrats are optimistic, while Republicans and independents are pessimistic. Fifty-eight percent of Democrats believe access is very or somewhat likely to improve, while majorities of Republicans (70%) and independents (64%) say it is not very or not at all likely.

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Implications

Americans want to see more attention paid to reducing health care costs, an issue that hasn’t been highlighted as much in this presidential campaign compared to previous campaigns. This is especially true for Americans ages 65 and older. Majorities of older Republicans and older Democrats say a candidate’s plan to protect Medicare and Social Security is crucial to their voting decision.

The population aged 65 and older represents a significant voting bloc in the United States. In 2020, the population of Americans aged 65 and older peaked at 55.8 million, representing approximately 17% of the population. That number is likely higher today, as the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population over age 65 will reach 63.3 million by 2025.

Although other political issues may overshadow health care in the current election, Americans continue to have serious concerns about their ability to afford the health care they need. Data from this study shows that more than two in three Americans (67%) are very or somewhat concerned that a major health event could lead to medical debt, including 62% of Republicans, 67% of Independents and 71% of Democrats. Issues related to the cost and accessibility of health care directly impact the daily lives of every voter, regardless of their political party affiliation.

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