NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Dec. 13, 2025) — When it comes to health insurance plans, many of which can be expensive and poised to be more costly in 2026, do New Jerseyans know what they are paying for? The answer appears to be “yes,” according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in collaboration with the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals New Jersey Chapter (NABIP-NJ).
“New Jersey voters show a notable degree of confidence in navigating their health insurance, but many continue to grapple with a system they view as complicated, costly, and shaped by forces beyond their control,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. “The results point to a public that feels prepared to make choices within the system yet remains concerned about the affordability of care and the extent of the state’s role in shaping available options.”
Voters generally feel confident in their health insurance knowledge. Among those who have health insurance, 84% say they are confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (41% “very,” 43% “somewhat”) and 71% are confident in their understanding of the different health insurance plan options available to them (32% “very,” 39% “somewhat”). “This survey underscores the value of the broker in helping New Jerseyans understand their options to enable them in purchasing the health insurance that best suits their families’ needs,” said Jim Lardiere, NABIP-NJ president.
“Health insurance brokers can be a key element in the process of purchasing insurance, driving costs down by fully educating the consumer and ensuring premium dollars are not being wasted on plans that are generally beyond the needs of the policy holder.” Voters ages 18 to 34 are less likely to feel confident in both their understanding of their chosen plan (73%) and the different health insurance options available to them (56%) than those 35 and older.
Those with some college education or less schooling are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their chosen plan (80%) than those with more schooling (88%). Voters who have an insurance plan through employment are less likely to feel confident in their understanding of their health insurance plan options (71%) than those enrolled in either Medicare or Medicaid (82%).
The poll also put a spotlight on the state government’s role in the private insurance marketplace in New Jersey, particularly Trenton’s level of influence on the rules, regulations and requirements that govern insurance plans. Slightly more than 7 in 10 New Jersey voters say they are concerned (37% “very,” 35% “somewhat”) about the state government’s influence. Meanwhile, 15% say they are “not very” concerned and 5% are not concerned at all. Age weighed into the poll findings, as younger people rely on health insurance considerably less than older New Jerseyans.
Voters ages 18 to 34 are less likely to express concern (56%) about government intervention than those 35 and older. The poll also dived into premium costs in New Jersey. About half of voters give “a great deal” of consideration to healthcare costs when making healthcare decisions (51%). Twenty-eight percent “somewhat” consider costs, 12% don’t give too much consideration, and 7% don’t give any consideration at all to costs.
Majorities across partisanship, gender, race and ethnicity, age, income, education, and insurance type consider costs when making healthcare decisions, though to varying degrees. Republicans are less likely to consider costs at least “somewhat” (72%) than Democrats (83%) and independents (82%). Women (84%), nonwhite voters (87%), and those earning less than $100,000 in annual household income (84%) are all more likely than their counterparts to consider costs when making healthcare decisions.
Results are from a statewide poll of 795 voters contacted via live calling and texting from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17. This registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.
ABOUT THE EAGLETON CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEREST POLLING
Home of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) was established in 1971 and is the oldest and one of the most respected university-based statewide polling operations in the United States. Now in its 52nd year and with the publication of over 200 polls, ECPIP’s mission is to provide scientifically sound, nonpartisan information about public opinion.
ABOUT THE EAGLETON INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The Eagleton Institute studies how American politics and government work and change, analyzes how the democracy might improve and promotes political participation and civic engagement. The Institute explores state and national politics through research, education and public service, linking the study of politics with its day-to-day practice.
ABOUT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY–NEW BRUNSWICK
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship university is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is home to internationally acclaimed faculty and has 12 degree-granting schools and a Division I Athletics program. It is the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse university. Through its community of teachers, scholars, artists, scientists and healers, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.
ABOUT NABIP-NJ
NABIP-NJ is a statewide consumer advocacy organization of professionals in the health insurance industry who are dedicated to educating the public on critical healthcare issues, shaping health insurance legislation and raising the ethical standards of the business. Our members help employers and consumers select the health insurance plans best suited to their needs. NABIP-NJ provides opportunities for statewide networking and a way for health insurance agents in New Jersey to combine their efforts. By working together, we have a say in the media and in Trenton. The legislative arm of NABIP-NJ gives important advice to state representatives working on laws that will affect the health insurance industry in New Jersey.
