Source: The Hill
Health care costs are the top concern among voters who identify with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, according to a new poll — far more than vaccines, pesticides or additives in food.
The survey, released Wednesday by KFF, shows how affordability concerns dominate the minds of Americans across the political spectrum.
According to the poll, 42 percent of MAHA-supporting voters identified lowering the cost of health care as the most important issue for government to address, more than restricting the use of chemical additives in the food supply (21 percent) and reevaluating the safety of vaccines (10 percent).
Limiting corporate influence on food policy or restricting the use of pesticides in agriculture both came in at 8 percent.
At least half of MAHA voters said that the cost of health care will have a “major impact” on their decision to vote, and which party’s candidate they will support in the upcoming midterms. That’s more than what the voters said about vaccine policy or food safety.
The MAHA movement, which came about from the political alliance between Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and President Trump, is broadly focused on issues like chronic disease and childhood illness. It has elevated issues such as vaccine safety, corporate interests in federal agencies and the presence of chemical additives and pesticides in the food supply.
The poll found 4 in 10 adults were self-described supporters of the MAHA movement, but some of the concerns elevated within the initiative have reached mainstream and resonate beyond its core supporters.
Among all respondents, 75 percent said there is insufficient regulation of chemical additives in food, and 64 percent said the same about pesticides used in agriculture. They also noted a general distrust of the food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries.
Despite the crossover appeal of those issues, two thirds of MAHA voters are Republicans and independents, and half said they were “Make America Great Again” supporters.
The poll also sheds light on the varied reasons why people support MAHA.
The two most common were generally wanting people to be healthier (19 percent) and removing or regulating harmful substances in food (15 percent), the data shows.
Some MAHA supporters mentioned improving nutritional habits for Americans or lowering obesity rates, both 7 percent.
Just 4 percent of MAHA supporters cited vaccines and medical choice as their reason for supporting the movement. Another 5 percent cited health care access and affordability, despite the movement’s lack of focus on these issues, the survey found.
The KFF poll of 1,023 adults was conducted April 14-19. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
