A new Gallup poll finds that, of all domestic issues, Americans are most worried about getting the health care they need. More than six in ten (61 percent) worry “a great deal.” Access to affordable health care has not been in a top concern since 2020. That said, health care was Americans’ top concern every year between 2015 and 2020.
Other top worries include the economy (51 percent), inflation (50 percent), and federal spending and the budget deficit (50 percent). People are also very worried about the way income and wealth are distributed in the U.S. (49 percent), hunger and homelessness (46 percent), environmental quality (46 percent) and the size and power of the federal government. (45 percent).
Forty-three percent are worried a great deal about our Social Security system and 40 percent are worried a great deal about the risk of terrorist attacks in the US.
What’s noteworthy is that concerns differ strikingly between Republicans and Democrats. The principal concern for Republicans is illegal immigration (55 percent are very concerned). The principal concern for Democrats is health care (80 percent are very concerned), whereas only 31 percent of Republicans worry a great deal about it.
There are other big divides between Democrats and Republicans. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats worry a great deal about income and wealth distribution, while only 17 percent of Republicans worry a great deal about it. There is a 52 point divide on the environment, with 67 percent of Democrats worrying a great deal about it and just 15 percent of Republicans. Fifty-five percent of Republicans worry a lot about illegal immigration compared with 17 percent of Democrats.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Health plan networks limit access to care
- Health care costs are prohibitive for one in three people with Medicare
- 2026: Five things to think about when choosing between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan
- Medicare for all controls spiraling health costs
- Medicare for those who choose it, a first step to guaranteed affordable health care for all
