EXCLUSIVE: Poll shows strong support for HSA expansion as Republicans push healthcare agenda
As congressional Republicans prepare the next phase of reconciliation legislation, a growing coalition of healthcare reform advocates is urging lawmakers to seize what they describe as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lower healthcare costs, expand patient control, and challenge the influence of insurers and healthcare middlemen.
The effort is being driven by the Great American Health Alliance, which is lobbying Congress to include a series of healthcare reforms in what supporters are calling “Reconciliation 3.0.” The proposals include expanding access to Health Savings Accounts, increasing healthcare price transparency, lowering prescription drug costs, and allowing Americans to use health dollars on wellness and preventative care.
The push comes as Republicans increasingly view healthcare affordability as a potential political advantage heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
A recent national survey of 1,600 likely voters conducted by McLaughlin & Associates on behalf of the Great American Health Alliance and shared with the Washington Reporter found that 79% of voters believe the healthcare system is either in crisis or facing major problems. The survey also found that 76% of voters are intensely concerned about out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including premiums, deductibles, and co-pays.
The polling found broad support for reforms that would shift more healthcare spending decisions directly to consumers. According to the survey, 73% of likely voters support personal health accounts that give individuals greater control over healthcare spending, while 76% support directing healthcare dollars into personal accounts rather than sending those funds to insurance companies.
Supporters argue the reforms would help address growing frustration with a healthcare system that many voters believe gives too much power to insurers and middlemen while leaving patients with rising costs.
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has recently highlighted Health Savings Accounts as a potential component of reconciliation discussions, a sign that the issue is attracting attention from senior Republican policymakers as work on the legislation accelerates.
Dan Perrin, founder of the HSA Coalition, said the reforms represent a rare area of broad agreement among voters.
“Expanding HSA access is not just a standard talking point, but a rare opportunity for broadly supported, common-sense healthcare reform,” Perrin told the Washington Reporter. “Republican policymakers like Chairman Arrington see that this is the perfect intersection of healthcare affordability and overwhelming political popularity.”
Perrin pointed to proposals that would eliminate restrictions tying HSAs to specific insurance plans and expand access to millions of Americans who currently cannot participate.
Critics of the traditional healthcare system have long argued that too much healthcare spending flows through insurance corporations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other intermediaries before it ever reaches patients. Perrin said Health Savings Accounts offer a fundamentally different approach.
“Health Savings Account owners actually own the money in their account—it does not disappear if they don’t spend it,” Perrin said. “And since they own it, they control it. Health Savings Accounts give consumers unprecedented control of their own health care decisions.”
The healthcare reform effort is also closely tied to President Donald Trump’s broader affordability agenda.
The Great American Health Alliance’s reconciliation framework includes support for lower prescription drug costs through direct-to-consumer purchasing models, including TrumpRx. The administration recently expanded TrumpRx to include hundreds of generic medications, a move supporters argue will help reduce costs for families struggling with prescription expenses.
John McLaughlin, CEO and partner at McLaughlin & Associates and a longtime Trump pollster, said healthcare affordability remains one of the most important issues facing voters.
“The President has been hearing that people are frustrated with the increased financial burden associated with health care and has been advocating for policies that afford Americans the option to directly invest in their health,” McLaughlin told the Washington Reporter.
McLaughlin pointed to polling showing widespread dissatisfaction with the healthcare system and strong support for reforms that give individuals greater control over healthcare spending.
“Seventy-nine percent of all voters say that the system is in crisis. Seventy-nine percent say spending more tax dollars on the status quo won’t fix healthcare. Eighty percent want individuals and families to have more control. This is why 73% support Healthier Spending Accounts. These are huge numbers,” McLaughlin said.
He also argued that Republicans stand to benefit politically if they can demonstrate measurable progress on lowering healthcare costs.
“Health care affordability is always near the top of voters’ concerns,” McLaughlin said. “It’s not just about the price of a product. It’s the fear that a serious illness could bankrupt a family. By going directly at that fear, by lowering prescription drug costs and expanding access to affordable medications, the President has tackled one of the top affordability issues in people’s lives.”
“If Republicans can demonstrate real, tangible savings on drug costs, they stand to gain significant political credit. The President has taken the lead. Now Congress needs to step up and finish the job.”
McLaughlin said the issue presents a unique opportunity because support extends well beyond the Republican base.
“In such a polarized environment, there are very few issues where many Americans agree, but health care affordability is one of them,” McLaughlin said. “Republicans have a real opportunity to lead on an issue that unites voters across the spectrum.”
With reconciliation negotiations expected to intensify in the coming weeks, healthcare advocates are now focused on convincing lawmakers to include affordability-focused reforms before the legislation reaches the House floor later this summer.
For supporters, the political and policy argument is straightforward: voters want lower costs, greater control over their healthcare dollars, and alternatives to a system that many believe is no longer working for ordinary Americans.
