75% of US Voters Are Concerned About Surging Healthcare Premiums

Twenty-four days into the second-longest government shutdown in US history, yet another poll revealed a rising majority of voters across the political spectrum are concerned about skyrocketing health insurance premiums.

Data for Progress and Groundwork Collaborative surveyed 1,215 likely voters nationwide on Wednesday and Thursday. Results released Friday show that 75% of likely voters—including 83% of Democrats, 72% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans—are concerned about premiums soaring. That is an increase from 72% of respondents who expressed concern last week.

The new survey also shows that 56% of voters—including 85% of Democrats, 65% of Independents, and 23% of Republicans—don't believe GOP President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are focused on "lower healthcare costs" for people like them and their families.

The pollsters further found that a plurality of voters continue to blame the president and GOP lawmakers the most for the shutdown, in line with Data for Progress and Groundwork Collaborative's findings from last week.

The new findings track with not only the groups' previous poll but also a survey released earlier this week by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research—which found that 6 in 10 Americans are "extremely" or "very" worried about their healthcare costs going up over the next year.

"While the president's main priority may be his brand new ballroom, American voters have made their priority loud and clear: Averting the healthcare premium cliff that will more than double their insurance premiums," said Elizabeth Pancotti, managing director of policy and advocacy at Groundwork, in a Friday statement.

Trump headed to Asia late Friday after facing rising criticism in the US this week for the ongoing shutdown and tearing down the East Wing of the White House to build a massive ballroom funded by weapons makers, tech giants, private equity firms, and other corporate donors.

Meanwhile, the GOP confirmed Friday that the US House of Representatives won't return to Washington, DC, next week. The chamber's Republicans passed a funding bill before the shutdown, but they couldn't get it through the Senate, where some Democratic support is needed. Democrats want to undo Republican Medicaid cuts and extend expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) credits, but the GOP majority refuses.

The open enrollment period for ACA plans begins November 1. The Washington Post reported Friday that "premiums for the most popular types of plans sold on the federal health insurance marketplace Healthcare.gov will spike on average by 30% next year, according to final rates approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services."

Absent action sought by congressional Democrats, at least tens of millions could face significant premium jumps—on top of the estimated 10 million people who could lose their Medicaid coverage. Pancotti said that "instead of acting to prevent healthcare price hikes for the American people, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are playing games with people's lives."