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Oct 21, 2020 - Health

Joe Biden's big lead on health care issues

Drew Altman, Kaiser Family Foundation
Reproduced from a Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll; Chart: Axios Visuals
Reproduced from a Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll; Chart: Axios Visuals

Health care has fragmented into multiple issues in this campaign cycle, and Joe Biden leads President Trump on almost all of them, according to our KFF polling.

The big picture: Biden’s commanding leads on protecting people with pre-existing conditions and managing the coronavirus outbreak suggest that Trump’s record and rhetoric on those issues, while popular with his base, may have backfired with the electorate generally.

By the numbers: Biden has a 20-point lead over Trump when voters are asked who they think has a better approach to the future of the ACA, and an identical 20-point edge on protections for pre-existing conditions.

  • Biden has a 16-point lead on dealing with coronavirus and a 9-point advantage on overseeing the development and distribution of a vaccine.
  • He has a 9-point lead on dealing with surprise medical bills and a 7-point lead on drug costs — an issue where Trump used to have the edge.

Yes, but: Democrats traditionally have a lead on health care, and opposition to the Affordable Care Act is still a big motivator for the GOP base — 76% of Republicans support overturning the law.

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