The trend: US adults have worse views of pharma and health insurance than any other healthcare sector, according to two March surveys of registered voters from Arnold Ventures and Fabrizio Ward.

Digging into the data: Drugmakers and insurers have by far the worst ratings of all industry segments and programs.

• 64% of respondents have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of pharma companies.
• 63% have a negative viewpoint of health insurers.
• Comparatively, far fewer people have an unfavorable impression of hospitals (28%), doctors (16%), or Medicare (18%).

Yes, and: Negative perceptions of pharma and insurance boil down to consumers’ belief that both stakeholders are driving up healthcare prices in the US.

• About 75% of consumers think both stakeholders are either fairly or very responsible for the problem of high healthcare prices.
• Health insurers (39%) were the top response when responders were asked which entity is most responsible for high healthcare prices, followed by pharma (24%) and the federal government (24%).

Yes, but: The public’s worsening perception of pharma and insurers comes at a time when the brand value of leading companies in both sectors rises.

Eli Lilly, for example, is the fastest-growing among the top 25 pharma brands, with a 36% year-on-year brand value increase, according to a recent report from Brand Finance. The consultancy assesses brand value based on a range of company and performance markers relative to competitors, assigning a final Brand Index Score out of 100.

Lilly’s growth is powered by its GLP-1 drug portfolio—the company might soon become the first-ever pharma company to hit a trillion-dollar market capitalization. Other pharma entities with the strongest brand value scores include Johnson & Johnson (topping the list for the seventh straight year), Roche, and Pfizer.

The brand value of health insurers is generally declining, per the report, though UnitedHealthcare is the exception. The healthcare conglomerate’s brand value increased 14% YoY and achieved a score of 84.8 out of 100.

The big takeaway: The notion that some of the biggest healthcare and pharma companies continue to have strong brand equity despite waning public perception is what frustrates consumers the most.

• For instance, 78% of people in Arnold Ventures’ survey think drugmakers are more focused on generating profits than making a difference.
• Pharma profits (60%) are overwhelmingly blamed for the high cost of prescription medications. Health insurers (13%) are the second-most blamed, though a distant second.

The final word: We’re seeing more healthcare and pharma marketers try to position themselves as trusted brands that empathize with patients. But company growth is far more predicated on actions such as lobbying the government to get regulations in their favor, cozying up to doctors, and advertising products to consumers—accordingly, the bulk of resources are being devoted to these efforts.