Coalition falls behind in marginal seats

Controversial changes to Medicare and higher education are damaging the coalition's vote in federal marginal seats, a new poll shows.

The GetUp-ReachTEL poll found that in eight of the 11 marginal seats won by the coalition at the September 2013 election, the government is now trailing Labor.

The remaining three seats are tight races with high proportions of undecided swinging voters.

The poll found that for both the Medicare co-payment and university deregulation three times as many swinging voters were "less likely" to vote for the coalition as opposed to "more likely".

Swinging voters who opposed the policies outnumbered supporters by more than 2.5 to one.

GetUp campaigns director Mark Connelly said swinging voters were crucial to the final result of elections.

"It's no wonder Liberal backbenchers have been getting an angry earful about the GP co-payment and university deregulation from their voters," he said.

"Now these numbers back up those backbench concerns."

Health Minister Sussan Ley is in talks with doctors and crossbenchers to find a compromise on the Medicare changes and secure Senate support.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne is negotiating with crossbench senators to get his higher education changes through the upper house.

Labor and the Greens oppose both pieces of legislation.

The poll surveyed 7368 people, including 742 undecided voters, across Barton, Eden-Monaro, Dobell, Reid and Banks, Petrie, Capricornia, Lyons, Solomon, Hindmarsh and Deakin.