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KFF Poll: Most Voters Say Medicare Fraud Comes From Providers, Not Patients, and the Issue Tops the GOP Health Agenda

A KFF Health Tracking Poll released July 16, 2026, found that 36 percent of voters say there is a lot of fraud in Medicare and that majorities blame providers and health systems rather than beneficiaries.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamJuly 16, 2026

A KFF Health Tracking Poll released July 16, 2026, asked voters how they view fraud in federal health programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The survey was conducted June 25 through June 30, 2026, among 1,321 adults including 1,055 voters, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for the full sample and 4 points for the voter subsample.

Thirty-six percent of voters said there is a lot of fraud in Medicare, and 40 percent said the same about Medicaid. For comparison, 52 percent of voters said there is a lot of fraud in the federal tax system, 46 percent said the same about defense contracts, and 46 percent about foreign aid.

New KFF poll: 36 percent of voters say Medicare fraud is widespread, and most point the finger at providers rather than patients.

When asked who is mainly responsible for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, 53 percent of voters pointed to providers, including doctors' offices and hospital systems. Only 13 percent said individual patients or beneficiaries are primarily to blame.

The findings have a clear partisan dimension heading into the 2026 midterms. Fifty-five percent of Republican voters rated fraud in government health programs as an extremely important campaign topic, higher than any other health issue tested. By contrast, large majorities of Democratic voters said they want candidates to focus on health care costs and the future of Medicare and Medicaid. Eighty-nine percent of Democratic and 70 percent of independent voters said the current federal focus on fraud is motivated more by politics than by a genuine intent to reduce it. Sixty-nine percent of Republican voters said the focus reflects a real effort to cut waste.

In plain words

A new poll from KFF came out July 16, 2026. About one in three voters said there is a lot of fraud in Medicare. Most voters said the fraud mainly comes from doctors and hospitals, not from patients. Republicans say fighting fraud in Medicare and Medicaid is their top health care topic for the upcoming elections. Democrats and independents said they care more about health care costs and the future of Medicare. Most Democrats and independents think the focus on fraud is mostly political. Most Republicans think it is about really cutting waste.

Understand the basics first

Source: KFF
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