Majority of Americans concerned about potential Medicaid cuts

Most Americans polled said Medicare cuts would impact their healthcare—and are unsure about how they will access services, from dental to hospice care.

Percent who said Medicaid cuts would have an impact on healthcare access: 91% Experience with Medicaid or CHIP benefits, 93% Living with a chronic condition

A recent national poll from the PAN Foundation’s Center for Patient Research finds that among adults in the U.S. with experience or exposure to Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits, 91 percent report potential cuts to Medicaid would have some impact on their ability to access needed healthcare services. Among those living with a chronic condition, the number is even higher at 93 percent.

Nearly six in ten (57 percent) of adults with experience or exposure to Medicaid/CHIP report being extremely or very concerned about potential Medicaid cuts. Among adults with a chronic condition, nearly half (49 percent) are extremely or very concerned about potential Medicaid cuts.

Percent who are concerned about potential Medicare cuts pie charts: 79% of those with Medicaid or CHIP are concerned; 87% of those with any chronic condition are concerned

Other findings include:

Roughly 36-67 percent of adults with experience or exposure to Medicaid/CHIP thought certain mandatory services, such as physician services, inpatient hospital services, and laboratory and x-ray services, were optional for states to provide or were not sure they were mandatory.
Among adults with a chronic condition, 35-72 percent thought mandatory services were optional for states to provide or were unsure they were mandatory.
Among adults with experience or exposure to Medicaid/CHIP, 57-75 percent thought optional benefits were mandatory for states to provide or did not know they were optional, such as dental services, prescription drugs, and hospice care.
Among adults with a chronic condition, 62-79 percent thought optional services were mandatory for states to provide or were unsure they were optional.

Read the polling results

“Our most recent poll reinforces the critical role Medicaid and CHIP play in improving healthcare accessing and affordability for millions of Americans. The potential cuts to these programs could prove to be devastating for people across the country who rely on these services to receive the healthcare they deserve,” said Amy Niles, Chief Mission Officer at the PAN Foundation. “In addition, our poll points to the need for more education focused on both the mandatory and optional benefits offered through Medicaid and CHIP. The PAN Foundation remains committed to providing clear, easy-to-understand educational resources that help breakdown complex topics, like Medicaid. In addition, we recognize the critical role we will continue to play as a safety net for thousands of people each year. We are committed to serving as a lifeline for those people.”

Polling methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States between April 3–7, 2025, among 2,072 adults (aged 18 and over) by The Harris Poll on behalf of PAN Foundation via its Harris On Demand omnibus product. Included in the 2,072 adults were 1,277 adults with any chronic condition, defined as those who self-report having been diagnosed by a healthcare provider with at least one of several specific chronic conditions, and 1,083 adults who have experience or exposure to Medicaid/CHIP.

Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income, [employment], and political party affiliation, to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

About the PAN Foundation 

As a leading charitable foundation and healthcare advocacy organization, the PAN Foundation is dedicated to accelerating access to treatment for those who need it most and empowering patients on their healthcare journeys. We provide critical financial assistance for treatment costs, advocate for policy solutions that expand access to care, and deliver education on complex topics—all driven by our belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, equitable healthcare.

Since 2004, our financial assistance programs have helped more than 1.3 million people to start or stay on life-changing treatment. In addition, we’ve achieved major policy victories that increase access to care, mobilized patient advocates to call for change, and educated people nationwide on critical healthcare-related topics. We’re committed to working towards a future where equitable health outcomes are a reality for all. To learn more, visit panfoundation.org.