Poll: Democrats Say They Are Hearing Enough From Presidential Candidates About Medicare-for-All and Expanding Coverage, But Want Them to Talk More about Health Costs and Women’s Health Care

Large Majorities across Parties Favor Government Negotiations to Lower Drug Prices, Though Counterarguments Significantly Dampen Support

As Congress weighs options to lower what people pay for prescription drugs, large majorities continue to favor a range of actions, including allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies to get a lower price for people with Medicare (88%), or for both people with Medicare and private insurance (85%). This includes large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents.

About seven in 10 (72%) – including a similar share of Republicans (69%) also favor increasing taxes on drug companies that refuse to negotiate with the government.

The poll also tests common arguments made for and against allowing the federal government to negotiate with drug companies to obtain lower prices and finds that some arguments can significantly affect public support.

For example, two thirds (65%) say they oppose government negotiations after hearing the argument that it could limit access to new prescription drugs, and nearly as many (62%) oppose it after hearing it could lead to less research and development of new drugs. On the flip side, support is as high as 89% when people are told that government negotiations could help people save on their drug costs.

Other proposals aimed at lowering prescription drug costs are also popular, including: placing an annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for seniors in Medicare drug plans (81%); allowing Americans to buy drugs imported from licensed Canadian pharmacies (78%); allowing Medicare to limit drug companies’ price increases based on annual inflation rates (76%); and setting Medicare prices based on prices in other countries with more government control (62%). Majorities of Democrats, independents and Republicans favor each of these options.

The public is divided on whether Congress can pass legislation on issues such as drug costs and surprise medical bills at the same time it is working on impeachment, with nearly equal shares saying Congress can do both (45%) as saying impeachment will prevent action on those issues (47%). Most Republicans (78%) and just over half of independents (53%) say impeachment will keep Congress from passing such legislation, while most Democrats (79%) say Congress can do both.

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Poll: Democrats Say They Are Hearing Enough From Presidential Candidates About Medicare-for-All and Expanding Coverage, But Want Them to Talk More about Health Costs and Women’s Health Care

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