Insurers cast themselves as MAHA allies
Axios · Sept. 29, 2026
Health insurers are trying to position themselves as partners in efforts to improve affordability as they face criticism over rising coverage costs. At a Washington summit, industry leaders highlighted proposals to lower spending and address billing practices while seeking a larger role in the broader healthcare-cost debate.
ANMP Insights
73% said healthcare is expensive because too many organizations profit from system complexity, while 22% said high-quality modern care is inherently expensive. (link)
92% said it is frustrating not to know the price of healthcare until after treatment, and 93% agreed patients should be able to compare prices and know costs before receiving care. (link)
78% preferred a system where patients compare prices themselves rather than one where healthcare institutions primarily guide decisions. (link)
The Latest: Trump says top tech firms have signed accord to ‘self-police’ AI development
Associated Press · Sept. 29, 2026
President Donald Trump announced a voluntary accord with major artificial-intelligence companies calling for internal and external reviews, stronger controls and independent oversight of AI development. The agreement is described as morally binding rather than a federal regulation, putting renewed attention on how quickly AI should advance and what safeguards should accompany it.
ANMP Insights
66% preferred placing limits on how quickly artificial intelligence develops in the United States, compared with 19% who preferred developing it as quickly as possible.
After respondents were reminded that slower U.S. development could allow China to take the lead, 50% still favored limits while 33% favored faster development.
43% said China becoming the world leader in artificial intelligence posed the greater safety risk, compared with 36% who said rapid U.S. AI development was the greater risk; 74% said they did not trust the Chinese Communist Party to comply with international limits on AI.
Inflation cooled slightly last month even as consumers stepped up spending
Associated Press · Sept. 30, 2026
A key federal inflation measure showed prices rising 3.4% in August from a year earlier, slightly below expectations but still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Consumer spending accelerated, while inflation-adjusted after-tax income was flat for the month.
ANMP Insights
78% said grocery prices were moving in the wrong direction, and 60% ranked grocery prices among the two economic indicators that mattered most personally. (link)
35% said falling grocery prices would do the most to convince them the economy was improving. (link)
In ANMP’s March affordability research, 43% said they would need to see visible cost reductions to believe leaders genuinely intended to improve affordability; 36% wanted specific policy actions. (link)