As Americans Voice Concerns About Health Care and Lose Trust in Federal Institutions, Here’s How CT Has Responded

• Gallup found 61% of Americans worry “a great deal” about health care access and affordability, up from 51% two years ago, returning it to Americans’ top concern

• Public trust in the CDC, FDA and NIH fell up to 7% in the past year, with RFK Jr.’s public approval at negative 24 points

• Connecticut Democrats passed a range of legislation to protect vaccine access, fluoride standards, hospital oversight, and public health funding as federal health policy shifted

Credit: Karola G / Canva

As we near the middle of 2026, it’s becoming clear that American health care and public health are significant concerns for members of the public.

According to Gallup, 61% of Americans are worried “a great deal” about health care access and affordability. 84% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned. That’s up from 51% two years ago and returns as America’s biggest concern.

Trust in federal health institutions is also falling. A February survey found public faith in the CDC, FDA and NIH fell up to 7% in the last year, The Hill reported, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s public support at a -24 overall, 38% supporting and 62% opposing. Trust in public health groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association and American Medical Association is much higher than support for federal organizations.

Connecticut Democrats have worked to meet this moment in the last few years, working to attempt to preserve health care access and maintain affordability while countering the questionable decisions made at the federal level, such as the first recommended removal of vaccines from children’s immunization schedules in more than 30 years, according to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

To prepare for this, the state has taken steps including:

Vaccines:

• Expanding the approved vaccination schedules the state can follow to include the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians to preserve the state’s standard of care for immunization and vaccinations, in addition to other mechanisms expanding and retaining current vaccination access and policies

Fluoride:

• Codifying the state’s amount of fluoride in water supplies of 0.7 milligrams per liter. That’s about three drops per 55 gallons of water, according to the American Dental Association. This is intended to prevent potential federal reductions in fluoridization from impacting the dental and oral health of Connecticut residents

Federal Funding Cuts

• Creating a $500 million federal cuts response fund, allowing the state to invest in programs and supports that the Trump administration cut. The state has already invested more than $120 million to replace expiring health care tax credits and subsidies, protect federally qualified health centers and support research grants

Advisories and Recommendations

• Creating a Connecticut Department of Public Health advisory committee on matters related to CDC and FDA recommendations, helping to preserve current standards and policies

• Joining the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a joint partnership between at least seven regional states and New York City to coordinate public health recommendations, action taken when COVID vaccines had access restricted in mid-2025

Other Protection Steps

• Creating accounts to fund communications from the Department of Public Health during public health emergencies and address unexpected public health emergency shortfall funding

• Require hospital emergency departments to preserve emergency room care and prevent discrimination should public policies continue to change

Meeting Connecticut residents’ needs, additional steps to improve public health include:

Supporting Health Care Workers

• Supporting health care workers, preserving current staffing and care levels, by passing increased on-job safety protections for them and developing new training programs

Improving Access To Care

• Creating a screening and treatment referral program for pancreatic cancer

• Developing working groups and advisory council to review access to emerging cancer treatments, veterinary telehealth, endometriosis and more

• Putting new protections in place to support individuals struggling with addition including bridge programs for care in emergency departments and declaring opioid use disorder a public health emergency

Monitoring Youth Health and Safety

• Requiring public school athletes to have health assessments screening for serious cardiac conditions

• Creating new programs supporting mental and behavioral health wellness for students and residents of the state

Preserving Our Systems

• Enhancing the speed through which hospital transactions, like mergers and acquisitions, can advance, helping preserve current health institutions

• Preventing private equity investors from owning majority stakes in main campus operations of any hospital and barring them from involvement in hospital clinical decision making

By Joe O’Leary