KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Views on Fraud in Government Health Programs Authors: Audrey Kearney, Isabelle Valdes, Lunna Lopes, Mardet Mulugeta, and Liz Hamel Published: Jul 16, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-public-views-on-fraud-in-government-health-programs/ Findings Key Takeaways As the 2026 midterm elections approach, health care costs remain the public’s top economic worry, and rank among the top health issues voters most want to hear candidates discuss this election cycle. Majorities of Democratic and independent voters say it is extremely important that candidates talk about health costs (60% and 55%). However, recent Trump administration actions on fraud may be registering with Republicans, as the largest share of Republican voters (55%) say it is extremely important for candidates to discuss fraud in government health programs. A majority of voters believe there is at least some fraud in government health programs and most say that addressing fraud would lead to reductions in federal spending overall, though fewer say it would lead to reductions in their own health care costs. Still, larger shares of voters perceive fraud in areas other than health: about half of voters say there is “a lot” of fraud in the federal tax system (52%), federal military and defense contracts (46%), and foreign aid programs (46%), compared to about four in ten who say there is “a lot” of fraud in government health programs such as Medicaid (40%) and Medicare (36%). About three in ten voters say there is “a lot” of fraud in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces (29%), the lowest share of all the areas asked about in this survey. Across party lines, larger shares of voters say fraud in Medicare and Medicaid is mostly perpetrated by health care providers and institutions rather than individual patients. The Trump administration has recently deferred federal Medicaid payments in a few states with claims that these actions will save money and root out fraud. But voters are skeptical: fewer than half say these deferrals are “very” or “somewhat likely” to save taxpayers money (43%) or that it is likely to lower health care costs for people like them (31%). However, most voters – including majorities across partisans – say the deferrals are likely to cause eligible low-income people to lose access to care they rely on. About two-thirds of voters (65%) believe this approach is mostly motivated by politics, though most Republican voters say it is mostly motivated by a genuine effort to reduce fraud and protect Medicaid (69%). Although a majority of voters say there is at least some fraud in Medicaid, most (71%) say ensuring Medicaid beneficiaries can access the care they need should be a higher priority than preventing fraud, even if it means some fraud may occur. Republican voters are closely split on this trade-off, with about half (52%) saying access to care should be a priority and about half (47%) saying preventing fraud should be a priority.