Poll: Americans More Concerned About Health Care Costs Than Terrorism

Despite more than a week of headlines about President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order and the administration’s focus on national security, a plurality of Americans say health care costs are their primary concern, rather than terrorism, according to a poll released Tuesday by Monmouth University.

A quarter of Americans say health care costs are the primary concern facing their families, according to the poll.

Trump, and many congressional Republicans, ran on a pledge to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, a key part of former President Obama’s legacy. To the consternation of some on the right, that process has slowed considerably. On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said “legislating” a replacement health care bill, if not implementing it, would be completed within the year.

While worries about paying for health care were nearly even with concerns about job security and with other household bills when the poll was conducted two years ago, Monmouth said in a press release, health care costs have since become more prominent in Americans’ minds.

According to the poll, 25 percent of Americans’ report that health care costs are the biggest concern facing their family, versus unemployment, at 14 percent, and everyday bills, at 12 percent. Two years ago, only 15 percent were worried about health care costs, a response rate that clustered with concern over unemployment and everyday bills, Monmouth said.

Monmouth University Polling Institute conducted the poll Jan. 12-15, by land line and cell phone. Monmouth surveyed 400 adults by land line and 401 by cell phone, and then weighted the final sample for region, age, education, gender and race according to U.S. Census information. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.