INSTITUTE FOR POLICY SOLUTIONS, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING

Nation Divided? Not on Health Care Reform—New Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Solutions National Survey Finds Broad Support for Eliminating Health Inequities

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's public discourse, people in the United States are increasingly described as irrevocably polarized—an assumption echoed in much of the messaging surrounding this week's State of the Union address (February 24, 2026). Yet new nationally representative research from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing's Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS)—conducted as part of its Bridging Our Divide: Eliminating Health Inequities for a Healthier Nation campaign—shows that on one of the most consequential questions facing the country, there is far more common ground than conventional wisdom suggests: people in the United States are largely united in wanting a fairer health system, and they broadly support prioritizing the elimination of health inequities as essential to achieving meaningful health care reform.

Fielded September 24–October 7, 2025, via NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, the 2025 IPS National Health Inequities Survey (n=1,578) finds that more than two-thirds of adults (67%) agree the nation should prioritize eliminating health inequities for everyone—and that support for prioritizing and addressing inequities far exceeds opposition. Importantly, this is not a partisan position: across Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, agreement and neutrality outweigh disagreement on eliminating health inequities, even as intensity of views varies.

"The data are clear—Americans are not divided on the core principles of health care," said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions. "This survey should change the posture of the debate around health care reform. The question is no longer whether people want health inequities eliminated, the question is whether policymakers will match the public's urgency for that goal with reforms that can be measured, scaled and sustained. If we want a health system that delivers optimal health for all, we have to treat the elimination of health inequities as a core performance standard, not a side initiative, and deliver progress first where the harms have been greatest."

The survey also reveals strong alignment on core principles that define what "a fairer system" means in practice: 70% say health care is a right, not a privilege; 75% believe everyone should have access to care regardless of ability to pay; and 81% say the health system should prioritize keeping people healthy and preventing illness.

Majorities also want action and accountability—saying health care institutions should play an active role in eliminating inequities (61%) and that federally funded research should prioritize measurable progress (63%) toward eliminating them.

At the same time, the findings point to nuance rather than ideological rigidity. Although support for universal action to eliminate health inequities is high overall, preferences vary in predictable ways across lived experience—especially among people who face the steepest access barriers. For instance, 70% of insured adults favor universal approaches, compared with 49% of uninsured adults, who are more likely to prefer targeted strategies. This pattern suggests that people are not rejecting the goal of fairness; they are weighing which policy design they believe will reach them in practice. The implication is clear: progress is most durable when shared national standards are paired with targeted, barrier-reducing investments for communities most likely to be left out.

Taken together, these findings cut against the idea that health care reform is politically intractable. Instead, they can be interpreted as a mandate for policymakers to bridge long-standing divides and advance comprehensive reforms that make the health system fairer for everyone. They also reinforce the recommendations from the 2024 National Academies' Ending Unequal Treatment work: fixing our broken health system requires tackling longstanding inequities—and people in the United States support reforms that follow evidence-based recommendations to achieve measurable progress. 

"What our survey makes clear is that the U.S. public wants accessible, patient-centered care delivered by teams equipped to address medical and social needs, and they expect health systems and federally funded research to be accountable for measurable progress in eliminating health inequities," said Adam Benzekri, co-author of the report. "Most adults are willing to raise their voices and vote for candidates committed to eliminating health inequities. Where views diverge is less about whether the nation should prioritize eliminating health inequities and more about how—and lived experience shapes those views. That's why targeted universalism offers a practical way forward: as a nation we need to set universal goals for everyone, and remove barriers first for those facing the greatest health inequities."

Read the full report: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/430854979/

About the Institute for Policy Solutions (IPS)

The Institute for Policy Solutions at Johns Hopkins University advances evidence-based policy, research, and action to eliminate health inequities and build a healthier nation for everyone. Through rigorous research, strategic partnerships, and public engagement, IPS works to translate evidence into solutions that improve health outcomes and strengthen communities.

SOURCE The Institute for Policy Solutions at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing