For Immediate Release: December 2, 2025
Contact: Darren Grubb, Medicare Advantage Majority Spokesperson
press@medicareadvantagemajority.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new national survey commissioned by Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM), conducted by Echelon Insights in partnership with LSG, finds that senior registered likely voters overwhelmingly support protecting and strengthening Medicare Advantage (MA), and view potential funding cuts as a threat to their financial stability and their access to essential healthcare benefits.
The research, led by respected Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, provides a detailed look at how seniors are thinking about Medicare Advantage and healthcare affordability at a time when national political debates, cost-of-living pressures, and federal budget discussions remain top of mind. The survey illustrates how seniors are responding to these conversations and the policy choices being weighed in Washington. It is particularly relevant when looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections, as seniors continue to be the most reliable demographic group by way of voter turnout.
“When it comes to Medicare Advantage, senior voters are remarkably consistent – they use it, value it, and depend on it,” said Kristen Soltis Anderson, Partner at Echelon Insights. “Across party lines, they view the program as vital for managing their healthcare costs and maintaining predictable access to the benefits they rely on. Seniors represent a crucial voting bloc in elections, and their support for protecting Medicare Advantage reflects broader worries about healthcare affordability.”
“The message from seniors is clear: Medicare Advantage is essential to their health and financial well-being,” said MAM spokesperson Darren Grubb. “As everyday costs continue to rise, lawmakers should focus on strengthening programs that lower costs and expand access to care – not cut them. Seniors care deeply about their MA benefits and will show up at the ballot box in 2026 to protect them.”
The survey polled 1,023 senior (65+) registered likely voters nationwide from October 31 to November 5, 2025. Topline findings include:
Familiarity & Favorability
- High familiarity and trust: 84% of seniors say they are familiar with Medicare Advantage.
- Strong perceptions of value: Seniors who know the program best are its strongest supporters – 89% of MA enrollees report favorable views, reflecting how MA’s integrated care and supplemental benefits deliver real, day-to-day value.
Satisfaction & Experience
- Exceptionally strong satisfaction: 85% of Medicare Advantage enrollees are satisfied with their plan, underscoring MA’s role in offering predictable costs, coordinated care, and benefits seniors use.
- Easy enrollment experience: 80% of insured seniors say enrolling in their health insurance was easy, including 47% who say it was very easy, demonstrating the accessibility and clarity of MA plans.
Affordability & Essential Benefits
- Medicare Advantage is a cost-of-living issue: 91% of seniors agree MA funding isn’t just a healthcare issue, it’s also a cost-of-living issue.
- Decisions guided by seniors’ needs: 96% say Medicare Advantage funding decisions should be guided in what’s best for seniors, not politics.
- Supplemental benefits are essential: 94% say the dental, vision, and hearing benefits offered through MA are “medically essential,” highlighting the importance of services not covered by traditional Medicare.
- Cuts would drive immediate financial harm: Seniors warn that funding reductions for Medicare Advantage could raise out-of-pocket costs (84%), make prescription drug coverage worse or more expensive (69%), limit access to preferred doctors or hospitals (60%), and create coverage gaps (57%).
Funding & Cuts
- Overwhelming opposition to cuts: 81% oppose congressional proposals to cut MA funding, including 70% who strongly oppose.
- Clear political consequences: 76% say they would be less likely to support a member of Congress who backs cuts, including majorities of Republicans (67%), Independents (76%), and Democrats (87%).
- Protecting the program as-is: Nearly half (48%) want Medicare Advantage funding increased, and another 35% say it should remain the same – signaling that seniors believe MA is working and should be strengthened, not reduced.
These concerns reflect broader affordability pressures facing older Americans. 72% of seniors say their overall healthcare costs are getting worse – a trend driven by rising prescription drug prices, growing insurance premiums, and increasing out-of-pocket expenses. At a time when many seniors are stretching fixed incomes to cover essentials, Medicare Advantage remains one of the few programs designed to provide predictable costs, expanded benefits, and financial relief.
Medicare Advantage is a public-private partnership that provides healthcare coverage to more than 34 million seniors and people with disabilities. More than half of all Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage for its integrated, affordable, and personalized approach to care – including supplemental benefits such as dental, vision, hearing, transportation, and wellness programs.
This new research builds on MAM’s ongoing national polling underscoring strong support for Medicare Advantage’s benefits and funding. It complements MAM’s previous surveys from March 2025 and most recently October 2025’s national caregiver research, which together illustrate a consistent and growing preference for Medicare Advantage among seniors and caregivers alike.
About Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM)
Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM) is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening the Medicare Advantage program for 34 million American seniors and people with disabilities – more than half of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries – who depend on it. MAM is powered by local advocates across the country, including beneficiaries, caregivers, providers, and community leaders.