Heading into this midterm election year, the cost of health care tops the public’s economic anxieties and more than 4 in 10 voters say the issue will have a major impact on their vote, a new KFF Health Tracking poll finds.

A third (32%) say that they are “very worried” about their ability to afford health care for them and their families – more than say the same about affording food and groceries (24%), rent or mortgage (23%), monthly utility bills (22%), or gasoline and other transportation costs (17%).

This KFF Health Tracking Poll/KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at KFF. The survey was conducted January 13-20, 2026, online and by telephone among a nationally representative sample of 1,426 U.S. adults in English (n=1,355) and in Spanish (n=71). The sample includes 1,028 adults (n=60 in Spanish) reached through the SSRS Opinion Panel, a nationally representative probability-based panel where panel members are recruited randomly, either online (n= 1,003) or over the phone (n=25).