A strong majority of Republicans and those who voted for President Donald Trump in November's election say they want Congress to maintain or increase spending on Medicaid, according to a new KFF Health Tracking Poll released Friday.
Both 43% of Republican and Trump voters said to keep Medicaid spending the same, while 24% of Republicans and 22% of Trump voters say to increase it, according to the survey's findings.
Conversely, just 33% of Republicans and 36% of Trump voters are in favor of cuts, according to the poll.
Overall, 82% said they want Medicaid to remain unchanged or be increased.
"I am about ready to say Medicaid is up there with Social Security and Medicare on the public's do not-cut list," KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a statement. "That's a real change since the beginning of the program, and one that Republicans in Washington are coming to grips with."
Regardless, 75% of those surveyed — including 59% of Republicans — by KFF say changes being considered by Congress are about "reducing government spending." Even 57% of Trump voters said that changes would be about cost savings, not "improving how the program works."
Overall, 56% said that Medicaid is "very" or "somewhat" important to their family, including 44% of Republicans and 42% of Trump voters, according to the poll.
Regarding work requirements, 62% overall — including 60% of independents — say they're in favor of it as a prerequisite for getting health insurance through Medicaid, according to the survey.
"In 2023, nearly two-thirds of adults ages 19-64 covered by Medicaid were working and nearly three in ten were not working because of caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or due to school attendance," KFF reported. Of those surveyed, 62% said they thought Medicaid recipients were unemployed.
KFF surveyed 1,322 adults from Feb. 18-25. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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