DataPoint: KFF Data Showcases Public's Views on Potential Changes to Medicaid
(March 18, 2025) A recent poll revealed that fewer than one in five adults (17 percent) want to see Medicaid funding decreased, as most think funding should either increase (42 percent) or be kept about the same (40 percent). Ninety-seven percent of adults say Medicaid is at least somewhat important for people in their local community, with one-third (34 percent) of rural residents saying there are not enough hospitals in their community to serve local residents, while about half say there are not enough primary care providers (49 percent) and about 7 in 10 say there are not enough mental health providers (67 percent) or specialists (71 percent) in their community. This data was published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) on March 7th in a brief titled “KFF Health Tracking Poll February 2025: The Public’s Views on Potential Changes to Medicaid.” The sentiment of the brief illustrates how the public’s opinion of Medicaid is overwhelmingly positive given the impact it has on rural health care. The poll is inclusive of Democratic, Republican, and independent voters from rural and nonrural settings, with 75 percent of respondents believing the impending changes to the Medicaid program will be engineered to reduce government spending, rather than improve how the program functions. This is particularly worrisome for rural residents, with half of respondents stating there are not enough primary care doctors to serve their community. Despite Medicaid’s reach, there is still some confusion about what the program covers. When asked who the primary payer is for extended long-term care services for low-income, older, and disabled people, 38 percent of respondents correctly identified Medicaid, with 26 percent of respondents identifying Medicare and 31 percent being unsure. To read the full brief from KFF, click here.
Contact: Eric Dumas, edumas@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8851