This week, talk on Capitol Hill turned to an item that’s long been on the wish list for many Republican politicians: cutting Medicaid. They hope to use the money from the program to fund other White House priorities, like the tax cuts from President Trump’s first term and border security. This naturally brings up questions about the other government-run healthcare program, Medicare. What’s going to happen to it?
While that remains in question—and Medicare isn’t currently on the chopping block—there have already been some changes to the program. As of April 1, 2025, telehealth visits will no longer be covered for Medicare recipients; they must make in-office visits to use their benefits. Additionally, President Trump rolled back some of the prescription drug price changes Joe Biden made when he was in the White House.
According to Resonate’s AI-powered data engine, rAI, over 96 million Americans, or about 40% of the adult US population, are opposed to making cuts to Medicare. To effectively communicate with and target them, you need to know who they are, what they value, and where to find them.
Who Are These Americans?
The majority (64%) of people who oppose cuts to Medicare are those who would be most directly affected by them. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older and qualify for Medicare. They make up the largest percentage—37%—of this audience. Gen X, who may be the caretakers of older adults like parents or grandparents who are on Medicare, make up the second-largest percentage (27%).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a significant portion of the people who oppose Medicare cuts are Democrats: 40%. Twenty-seven percent are Republicans, and 26% are independents. Their top engagement issue areas include controlling illegal immigration, improving prescription safety, costs, and access, and reforming entitlements, like Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, and welfare. This list is somewhat surprising, as controlling illegal immigration isn’t usually associated with people who vote in line with the modern Democratic platform. The last item in the list, reforming entitlements, suggests that they might be open to fixing programs like Medicare and Social Security but don’t consider cutting them to be part of the reforms they might approve of.
This audience considers the biggest threat to the US to be partisan politics; they want to see more unity on Capitol Hill when it comes to the business of governance. They’re tired of the discord and lack of compromise that have been a feature of Congress for the past few years. This may explain why, even though the biggest percentage of these Americans voted Democrat, over one-quarter of them are 33 times more likely than the average US adult to be satisfied with President Trump’s political policies. Regardless of who they voted for, they perceive an inability to get along as a major problem and are willing to overlook party lines on certain issues.
Where Can You Find Them?
You can effectively target Americans who are opposed to cutting Medicare with insights from the Resonate Media Consumption Report:
A significant percentage—69%—of this audience is only lightly engaged on social media, meaning they spend 10 hours or less a week on various social platforms. They’re most engaged with connected television. In fact, 25% spend over 21 hours a week watching CTV. You can also find them watching linear TV (20% spend 21 or more hours a week watching) and Internet videos (15% are heavily engaged). Radio is also a still somewhat-viable medium for this audience: 17% spend 10 or more hours a week listening to the radio.
Tips to Craft Your Messaging
When preparing to reach out to this audience, keep the following tips in mind as you craft your messaging:
- Consider using themes of national safety, defense, freedom, preservation, social order, and stability to appeal to their personal value of security
- Focus on messaging that conveys being proper, lawful, accountable, and decent
- Creative and messaging with themes of unity with nature, safekeeping, and conservation will go over well with Americans who oppose cuts to Medicare
Schedule a consultation today to learn how you can use Resonate data to craft precise, targeted advocacy campaigns.
