Republican satisfaction with health care costs surges under Trump

A new Gallup survey shows that Republicans have gotten a whole lot happier about the cost of health care since President Trump took office, while Democrats' satisfaction has plummeted.

Our thought bubble: There is very little reason for anyone to be satisfied with the cost of health care in the U.S. — and that has been true for a very long time.

The big picture: Partisanship colors people’s view of health care costs, with Republicans prone to bigger mood swings than Democrats.

• The Affordable Care Act did attempt some cost control within Medicare, and it did make insurance more affordable for many people. But those policies, good or bad, have been humming along relatively unchanged while partisan attitudes have changed around them.
• And while Democrats' and Republicans' attitudes have been shifting, health care spending has steadily increasing every year  — from about $2.7 trillion in 2011 all the way up to roughly $3.6 trillion last year.

Go deeper:

• Health care spending grew again in 2018 thanks to higher prices
• Health care industry opposes Congress' new surprise medical bill legislation
• The drug-pricing deal that got away