Poll: Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security

This Navigator Research report covers the latest perceptions of programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, as well as perceptions of Trump and Republicans’ plans to make cuts to these programs.

Nearly four in five Americans view Medicaid favorably.

Majorities across partisanship view Medicaid favorably (net +65; 77 percent favorable – 12 percent unfavorable), including 87 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 66 percent of independents who are favorable. Majorities of Americans say they know someone who receives benefits from Social Security (80 percent), Medicare (72 percent), and Medicaid (60 percent), including majorities across party lines for each. An even greater share of non-college educated Americans say they know someone who relies on Medicaid (65 percent), including more than one in three who say they personally receive benefits (36 percent) compared to 14 percent of Americans with a college degree.

• Americans believe the groups most likely to be affected by cuts to Medicaid are lower-income Americans (60 percent list in top three most likely), people with disabilities (56 percent list in top three most likely), and seniors (50 percent list in top three most likely).
• By 11 points, more Americans trust Democrats in Congress more to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits (50 percent trust Democrats more – 39 percent trust Republicans more). Majorities also trust Democrats more by an even greater margin to protect Medicaid benefits (net +18; 52 percent trust Democrats more – 34 percent trust Republicans more).

Overwhelming majorities of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.

Three in four oppose cuts to Medicaid (75 percent) —including 89 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of independents, and 53 percent of Republicans. Additionally, more than four in five Americans oppose cuts to Social Security (85 percent) and seven in ten oppose cuts to Medicare (70 percent). Americans also believe it is likely that Trump and Republicans in Congress will cut programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, as nearly three in five believe they will make cuts to Medicaid (net +27; 57 percent likely – 30 percent not likely), half believe they will make cuts to Medicare (net +14; 50 percent likely – 36 percent not likely), and a plurality believe they will make cuts to Social Security (net +9; 48 percent likely – 39 percent not likely).

• When given more information about Trump and Republicans’ plans to cut programs, greater shares believe that cuts to these programs are likely: 64 percent believe it is likely that Trump and Republicans will make cuts to Medicaid (compared to 57 percent before messaging) , 56 percent believe that Trump and Republicans will make cuts to Medicare (compared to 50 percent before messaging), and 53 percent believe that they will make cuts to Social Security (compared to 48 percent likely before messaging).
• About two in three Americans oppose repealing the Affordable Care Act (65 percent), including nearly nine in ten Democrats (net -83; 5 percent support – 88 percent oppose), three in five independents (net -49; 12 percent support – 61 percent oppose), and two in five Republicans (net -7; 35 percent support – 42 percent oppose).