Here’s what MAHA voters really want from healthcare policy

A new KFF poll found that voters aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement consider the cost of health care as their top policy priority

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

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“Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) voters across the political spectrum say lower health care costs are their top policy priority, according to a new poll—outranking signature MAHA issues like vaccine safety and pesticide-free foods.

The MAHA movement, spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., promotes policies such as shifting away from processed foods and encouraging regular exercise. But it’s also sparked controversy and criticism from public health experts and doctors because some MAHA figures, including Kennedy, question the science underlying vaccines and the causes of conditions such as autism.

The new poll, released Wednesday by KFF, asked voters who support the MAHA movement about their top policy priorities. Overall, 42 percent said that “lowering the cost of health care, including prescription drugs” was their number one issue. Cutting back on “chemical additives in the food supply” came in second, with 21 percent of MAHA voters listing it as their top priority, followed by “reevaluating the safety of vaccines” in the U.S., which was ranked first by 10 percent of MAHA voters.

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Interestingly, support for lower health care costs carried across political parties. About half of MAHA voters in the poll were registered Republicans, nearly a third were Independents, and 15 percent were Democrats. But all of these groups, including 57 percent of Democrat MAHA voters and 40 percent of Republicans, listed health care as their top priority. KFF conducted the poll in April 2026, and it involved more than 1,300 people.

Health care costs were so important to MAHA voters, in fact, that the majority, 56 percent, said it would have a “major impact” on who they will vote for in the upcoming 2026 midterm election. About half of MAHA voters said it would impact whether they head to the polls at all.

Heath care is expensive—it costs the U.S. nearly $15,000 per person, according to the American Medical Association. That's more than other wealthy countries spend, including Switzerland (about $10,000 per person), Germany (about $9,400), and the Netherlands (about $8,400), KFF estimates. Drug prices are also nearly three times higher in the U.S. than in similar countries, according to a 2024 Health and Human Services (HHS) report.