Uninsured

New and noteworthy

Quote from KFF President and CEO Drew Altman reads, "when it comes to the “affordability crisis” driving the national discussion of health care today, the chronically ill, and most of all the chronically ill uninsured, are the tip of the spear."

The Group that Struggles the Most in American Health Care

In a new column, Dr. Drew Altman, KFF’s Founding President and CEO, previews findings about the chronically ill uninsured from a large KFF survey of 25,000 Americans focusing on the cost and access challenges facing the chronically ill, which will be released tomorrow. He writes: “There are more than enough needs to go around in American health care, but if I had to pick the one group that struggles the most with costs and access, it would be people with chronic illnesses who are also uninsured.”

Other “Beyond the Data” columns >>

Key Facts about the Uninsured Population

The number and share of people without insurance grew in 2024, increasing for the first time since 2019, according to KFF’s analysis of data from the American Community Survey (ACS). This issue brief describes trends in health coverage in 2024, examines the characteristics of the uninsured population , and summarizes the access and financial implications of not having coverage.

Data and analysis

The coverage gap exists because some states did not expand Medicaid under the ACA to cover adults under age 65 without dependent children with incomes at/below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL)

How Many Uninsured Are in the Coverage Gap?

An estimated 1.4 million uninsured individuals in the 10 states without Medicaid expansion, including many working adults, people of color, and those with disabilities, remain in the "coverage gap," ineligible for Medicaid or for ACA tax credits that would make coverage affordable.

The Uninsured and Health Coverage

This Health Policy 101 chapter examines the share of the United States population who are uninsured, highlighting their demographics and the challenges they face because of the lack of coverage.

Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants

This fact sheet provides an overview of health coverage for immigrants based on data from the 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants. As of 2023, half of likely undocumented immigrant adults and one in five lawfully present immigrant adults reported being uninsured.

Who was uninsured in 2024?

Latest Polling
9.8%

The share of people under age 65 without insurance
62%

The share of uninsured adults who said they were uninsured because coverage is not affordable
59%

The share of uninsured adults who said they or someone living with them had problems paying for health care
39%

The share of uninsured adults who reported delaying or not getting needed care or medication due to cost

Stay informed.

Stay informed.

Filter

991-1,000 of 1,316 results

  • Pulling it Together: How the ACA Can Help The Homeless

    From Drew Altman

    Estimates are that there are approximately 630,000 people who are homeless on any given night in the U.S. -- about two-thirds in shelters and one-third on the street or without real shelter. Several million people are estimated to experience homelessness over the course of a year. About two-thirds are individuals and the balance are in families. These numbers are virtually identical to national estimates we used when I worked intensively on the issue of homelessness in the…

  • Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On The Map: Access and Utilization Highlights

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet provides a brief overview of racial disparities in health access and utilization among men of different races in the United States. It draws findings from the report, Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On the Map, which uses national data sources from multiple years to generate state-level estimates on a range of indicators of health status, access, and well-being for men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Men and women use health care…

  • The Cost and Coverage Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: National and State-by-State Analysis

    Report

    A central goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing a continuum of affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Exchanges. Following the June 2012 Supreme Court decision, states face a decision about whether to adopt the Medicaid expansion. These decisions will have enormous consequences for health coverage for the low-income population. This analysis uses the Urban Institute’s Health Insurance Policy…

  • Immigrants’ Health Care Coverage and Access (Update)

    Fact Sheet

    Immigrants' Health Care Coverage and Access This fact sheet profiles the health coverage of the nation's immigrant population and the policy challenges the population faces in accessing health care services. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • Retiree Health Trends and Implications of Possible Medicare Reforms

    Fact Sheet

    The availability of employer-sponsored retiree health benefits from large companies has declined since 1991, according to a new study conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation by Hewitt Associates LLC. The study also shows that the number of big businesses charging premiums, tightening eligibility requirements, encouraging use of managed care, and placing dollar caps on coverage increased. In addition, the report concluded that potential changes in the Medicare program, such as a higher eligibility age, could…

  • The President’s FY 2005 Budget Proposal:  Overview and Briefing Charts

    Report

    The President's FY 2005 Budget Proposal: Overview and Briefing Charts The overview and briefing charts present information on the President's FY 2005 budget proposal to Congress beginning with federal surplus/deficit spending historical data and a summary of the overall composition of the Administration's budget request. The charts then detail information on the President's funding proposals for major health programs. Overview & Briefing Charts (.pdf)

  • Private Long-Term Care Insurance: A Viable Option for Low and Middle-Income Seniors?

    Issue Brief

    In the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the federal government made it harder for individuals to qualify for Medicaid nursing home benefits by increasing penalties on individuals who have transferred assets for less than fair market value during the past five years and by making individuals with home equity above $500,000 ineligible for nursing home benefits. The legislation also lifts the moratorium on the number of states that may operate Long-Term Care (LTC) Partnership Programs,…

  • USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of Households Affected by Cancer

    Poll Finding

      USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of Households Affected by Cancer This USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey provides an in-depth examination of how families cope with cancer and highlights problems of health insurance and health care costs through the lens of those who have experienced this major illness. The survey shows the disease’s devastating impact often extends beyond an individual patient to affect entire families…