Polling continues to show voters reject so-called Medicare “negotiation” once they learn about consequences for patients

As policymakers race to pass government price setting policies, it’s important to examine true public sentiment around such proposals. Voters have made clear that they do not support policies such as so-called Medicare “negotiation” once they learn how these policies threaten patient access and future innovation.

Key public polling findings that underscore this include:

• A March 2022 Ipsos/PhRMA poll reveals that only 14% of Americans would support government negotiation of some drug prices if it could limit people’s access to newer prescription medicines and only 15% would support if it could delay access.
• Data from the same March 2022 Ipsos/PhRMA poll found that seniors specifically overwhelmingly reject government negotiation when they learn it threatens access and future innovation. Support among seniors is just 10% when they learn the policy could delay people’s access to new medicines.
• According to a 50-state Morning Consult/PhRMA poll, two-thirds of Americans (66%) oppose government negotiation to address health care costs if it could take away power from doctors to prescribe the medicines that best meet the needs of their patients, and instead puts the government in charge of those decisions.
• Independent polling reveals that 72% of Americans oppose government negotiation if it results in fewer new medicines being developed in the future. That is notable considering some estimates show that recent price setting proposals could sacrifice more than 100 new treatments over the next two decades.

Public polling repeatedly underscores voters’ real challenges when it comes to their health care and the patient-centered solutions they want Congress to prioritize. And when it comes to so-called government “negotiation,” voters have been clear that the more they learn about the trade-offs to patients, the more support for the policy plummets. The health care solutions voters do value focus on common-sense solutions that address their genuine concerns by prioritizing lowering patient out-of-pocket costs and increasing predictability and transparency.

Tell Congress: Patients deserve better.

Learn more about how we’re working together to improve the health care system at PhRMA.org/BetterWay.

Get more information and see resources around public opinion polling at PhRMA.org/Polling.