PRESS RELEASE: New Poll Shows Direct-to-Patient Funding a Positive Way to Improve Health Care
84% look favorably on funding patients, not health systems.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – American voters widely support health care policy, advocated by President Trump, that puts patients in charge of their health care and sends funding directly to them, according to a new poll from Fund The Patient, a health policy movement that supports directly giving patients funds that otherwise go to third parties such as insurers and government agencies.
The survey shows patients are dissatisfied with health care due to high upfront costs and declining access, which they blame on the “system”: insurance companies, large hospital systems, and government interference.
Health care policy that challenges the “system” is widely supported by doctors, patient advocates, and policy experts who want to see patients take back their health care. Many of Fund The Patient’s findings from the survey are reflected in bills on Capitol Hill, as well as President Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan.
According to the survey, 84% of participants say they would react favorably to an elected official who said, “To improve health care, we need to fund patients, not the system.”
The Fund The Patient Advisory Council offered the following statements in reaction to the poll:
“Nearly 85% of voters want their health care dollars to return back to them. That’s a number lawmakers should pay attention to.” said Terry Wilcox, Advisory Council member and founder of Patients Rising. “If lawmakers want a winning platform for the midterms to tackle this issue, this is it.”
“Patients and doctors are sounding the alarm that the health care system is at a tipping point,” said Anthony DiGiorgio, Advisory Council member and neurosurgeon at UCSF. “The best way to relieve this pressure is for elected officials to follow the Trump administration’s lead and get serious on returning health care dollars back to patients.”
The polling laid out other findings related to the state of American health care:
75% of voters think that the health care system is not meeting the needs of most Americans.
Four out of five Americans believe health care costs are a part of the affordability crisis.
78% of patients believe they should control their own care, while 54% believe their current insurance health plan doesn’t give them that freedom.
82% of voters believe that approaching health care reform by emphasizing choice and control is the correct path forward.
Voters overwhelmingly believe that HSAs are a great way of providing affordable health coverage (79%).
The Public Opinion Strategies survey was completed February 4-8, 2026, among 1,000 registered voters. Results have a credibility interval of +3.53%. Interviews were conducted via an online survey.
View the full survey results here.
About Fund the Patient
Fund the Patient is a movement that offers a supplemental alternative to status-quo health care policy – directly giving patients health care funds that would otherwise go to insurers, big hospital systems, and government programs. Through patient education and issue advocacy, Fund the Patient aims to empower patients to choose care options with direct government funding, lower barriers to access care, and provide a quality, flexible patient experience for all Americans.
Media Contact: