Concerns About Rising Insurance Premiums
A recent survey indicates that many Americans are anxious about potential hikes in their insurance premiums as 2026 approaches. The Axios/Ipsos poll, made public on Monday, reveals a noteworthy sentiment among the populace.
According to the findings, about 72% of those surveyed expressed significant or moderate concern regarding rising premiums this year. In addition, approximately 26% said they might actively seek new health insurance due to escalating costs. This aligns with concerns that artificial intelligence may inadvertently be driving up healthcare expenses.
Furthermore, around half of U.S. adults indicated that their decisions at the polls could be influenced by candidates’ stances on drug affordability and health insurance costs. Interestingly, 60% of participants showed support for direct-to-consumer drug sales, which could help lessen some out-of-pocket expenses.
“There’s a palpable anxiety around healthcare costs, and citizens are turning to their government for relief—soon,” noted Mallory Newall, the vice president of U.S. public affairs at Ipsos.
Newall further elaborated that Americans tend to back cost-cutting initiatives, often without fully grasping all the problem’s intricacies.
This survey emerges amidst widespread apprehension about health care expenses across the nation. A March Gallup poll found that about one-third of respondents had made some financial trade-offs in their daily lives to access medical care.
The average family premium for employer-sponsored health insurance hit $26,993 in 2025, according to KFF estimates. Many Democratic leaders are focusing on healthcare costs as a significant issue in the lead-up to the midterm elections, as highlighted in reports from February.
In January, President Donald Trump revealed a new initiative dubbed the “Great Health Care Plan.” This plan is centered around lowering prescription drug prices, making insurance companies more accountable, and enhancing transparency within the U.S. healthcare framework. Additionally, in May, his administration announced an expansion of the direct-to-consumer platform, TrumpRx.gov, aimed at improving price transparency and options for commonly used generic medications.
The Axios/Ipsos poll was carried out from June 12 to June 15 using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,189 U.S. adults. The poll holds a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points at a 95% confidence level for the overall adult sample.
