Affordability is shaping the healthcare debate this midterm cycle. How should hospitals respond?
Nine in 10 voters say healthcare costs will influence their vote this fall, making affordability the #1 issue of the midterm cycle, tied with gas prices.
Both parties are campaigning on it, but their solutions look vastly different, and many are targeting hospitals: payment cuts, price transparency enforcement, scrutiny of consolidation. Meanwhile, financial impacts are already landing, with $32B in projected lost provider revenue this year from subsidy expiration alone.
Our new brief, The Affordability Election, breaks down what the 2026 midterms mean for health systems: the three forces shaping the debate, the pressures already hitting patient behavior and payer mix, the dates that matter between now and November, and three questions worth putting in front of your leadership table this quarter.
Affordability is defining the healthcare debate. The question is whether your organization shapes the conversation or spends months defending itself.
