# Republicans battle healthcare trust gap in 2026

> GOP candidates are attacking insurance companies to narrow a 22-point Democratic advantage on healthcare before the midterms.
- Title: Republicans battle healthcare trust gap in 2026 · NBC News
- Summary: GOP candidates are attacking insurance companies to narrow a 22-point Democratic advantage on healthcare before the midterms. Republicans acknowledge they're…
- Keywords: 2026 midterm elections, healthcare policy, republican strategy, voter trust, medicaid cuts, affordable care act, prescription drug prices, swing voters, senate races, insurance companies, politics, news
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/elections/republicans-health-care-2026-midterm-elections-voter-polling-rcna595333
- Author: Sahil Kapur
- Published: 2026-09-23T10:00:41+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: 2026 midterm elections, healthcare policy, republican strategy, voter trust, medicaid cuts, affordable care act, prescription drug prices, swing voters, senate races, insurance companies, politics, news
## Healthcare is a GOP weakness
Democrats lead Republicans on healthcare by 22 points in NBC News polling, with similar margins in other surveys. Healthcare is shaping up as a major vulnerability for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.

> I can't say that Republicans have done much about it.
## GOP candidates attack insurance firms
Republican candidates in Michigan, Iowa, New Jersey, and Kansas are running ads criticizing insurance and drug companies. The strategy is to narrow the Democratic advantage rather than expect to win on healthcare.
## Michigan Senate race focuses on drugs
Republican Mike Rogers is running ads attacking high prescription drug costs and calling for price transparency rules. He's contrasting his Medicare for seniors approach against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's Medicare for All proposal.

> I want Medicare for seniors. They've earned it, they've worked for it.
## Medicaid cuts threaten millions
Republicans passed one trillion dollars in Medicaid spending cuts and ended Affordable Care Act funding. These moves are estimated to cause over ten million people to lose coverage or pay more for insurance.
## Democrats vow to restore funding
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has pledged to restore Medicaid and ACA funds as Democrats' top priority if they gain House control. This directly counters Republican cuts.
## Women voters are key battleground
Healthcare consistently ranks high with women voters. Republican pollster Bill McInturff says Republicans need to make up a deficit with women and don't have to win on healthcare, just compete on it.

> You don't have to win an issue. You just have to compete on the issue.
## GOP has no unified healthcare plan
Republicans have spent years trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act but have never coalesced around an alternative. The party favors cutting healthcare funding to align with tax cut priorities.
## Trump touts drug price wins
White House polling shows drug price reductions are among the administration's most popular achievements. Trump held an event to promote most-favored-nation pricing policies for certain drugs under Medicaid.
## Senate Republicans offer vague plans
Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo told NBC News his agenda includes pharmacy benefit manager fixes and tackling inefficiencies, but provided no specifics on how Republicans would address healthcare.

> Our healthcare system is broken. I'm not going to tell you what the solutions are yet.
## Key takeaway

Republicans acknowledge they're losing on healthcare but are trying to compete on the issue rather than win it outright.