Health care ranks as top domestic concern in latest Gallup polling

Health care ranks as top domestic concern in latest Gallup polling 

For the first time in more than five years, cost and access to health care ranked as the top domestic issue of concern in the latest polling by Gallup, outpacing issues like the economy and inflation. 

In new polling conducted during March, 61 percent of those who participated said they personally worry a great deal about “the availability and affordability of healthcare.” Overall, 94 percent said they were worried about this issue to some degree. 

Ninety-five percent of participants said they were concerned about the economy on some level, but within this group 51 percent said they were concerned “a great deal.” 

These polling numbers come just days after the most recent figures on Affordable Care Enrollment were released, indicating that more than 1 million people dropped out of coverage for 2026 when compared to last year. When the ACA enhanced premium tax subsidies expired, a drop in enrollment was anticipated. 

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 23.1 million consumers selected or were re-enrolled in coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based exchanges. In 2025, CMS reported that 24.2 million people had signed up for coverage, an all-time high. 

“Healthcare has reclaimed its position as Americans’ foremost domestic concern, returning to the top tier after several years when economic matters commanded more attention,” Gallup stated in its polling report. 

“While the percentage highly worried about the availability and affordability of........

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