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Affordability Is the Issue Now, But Look for the Uninsured to Make a Comeback

A new column on the uninsured from President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman explains: “The uninsured is not the most politically salient problem in health care now, that’s affordability, nor is it the non-problem some say it is. But it’s coming back. And the problem of the chronically ill uninsured is glaring.” Read more.

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.

More on the uninsured population >>

Data and analysis

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.

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 tax credits that would make ACA coverage affordable to them.

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
Other key facts about the uninsured >>

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  • The Texas Health Care Landscape

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet summarizes the Texas health care landscape, including data on demographics, population health, the uninsured and the state Medicaid program. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • What Issues Will Uninsured People Face with Testing and Treatment for COVID-19?

    Fact Sheet

    With COVID-19 cases rising in the US, issues surrounding access to testing and treatment for uninsured individuals have taken on heightened importance. Efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the United States are dependent on people who may have been exposed to the virus or who are sick getting tested and seeking medical treatment. However, the uninsured are likely to face significant barriers to testing for COVID-19 and any care they may need…

  • Addressing Health and Social Needs of California’s Immigrant Families: Lessons Learned from Local Responses and Future Priorities

    Event Date:
    Event

    A flurry of federal activity on immigration rules and policies is affecting health care and coverage for both lawfully residing immigrants and undocumented immigrants in the country, ranging from deportation policies, a revised “public charge” rule, and a new proclamation from President Trump requiring health insurance for entry via immigrant visas. California has the largest share of immigrants among its population, and has been at the forefront of current policy debates, including moving forward on…

  • Analysis: 4.7 Million Uninsured People Nationally Could Get a No-Premium Bronze Plan in the ACA Marketplace,Though Deductibles Would be High

    News Release

    As the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period nears an end in most areas this week, a new KFF analysis finds that 4.7 million currently uninsured people could get a bronze-level plan for 2020 and pay nothing in premiums after factoring in tax credits, though the deductibles would be high. That works out to 28 percent of the 16.7 million uninsured individuals who are potential customers for coverage through ACA marketplaces. Half of the uninsured…

  • Uninsured Most Likely to Delay or Go Without Care or Prescription Drugs Due to Cost

    Feature

    Many uninsured people do not obtain the treatments their health care providers recommend for them because of the cost of care. In 2018, uninsured nonelderly adults were more than three times as likely as adults with private coverage to say that they postponed or did not get a needed prescription drug due to cost.

  • Health Coverage for Low-Income Adults:  Eligibility and Enrollment in Medicaid and State Programs, 2002

    Issue Brief

    Health Coverage for Low-Income Adults: Eligibility and Enrollment in Medicaid and State Programs, 2002 This policy brief provides new information on the number and characteristics of nonelderly adults eligible for Medicaid and other public coverage and on their enrollment. Because low-income adults often work at jobs that do not offer employer-sponsored coverage and individual coverage is prohibitively expensive for them, their uninsured rates are high. Although Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)…

  • Stresses to the Safety Net:  The Public Hospital Perspective

    Report

    The nation’s safety net financing is fragmented; consequently, providers must knit together resources from many different funding sources to create a stream of revenue to cover the costs of providing a very broad range of services. This report describes those sources of revenue, documenting that nearly 40% of all safety net revenues are from Medicaid. The report also describes challenges that safety net hospitals and health systems are experiencing as they attempt to rebound from…

  • Women and Health Care: A National Profile – Report

    Report

    Report - Women and Health Care: A National Profile Women and Health Care: A National Profile is a nationally representative telephone survey of 2,766 women ages 18 and older. A shorter companion survey of 507 men was also conducted. Full Report (.pdf) Report Highlights (.pdf) Introduction and Methods (.pdf) Chapter 1: The Demographics of Women (.pdf) Chapter 2: The Health of Women (.pdf) Chapter 3: Women and Health Insurance Coverage (.pdf) Chapter 4: Women's Access…

  • What Is the Current Population Survey Telling Us About the Number of Uninsured?

    Issue Brief

    This brief describes the main concerns with the Census Bureau’s CPS health coverage estimates and how analysts have attempted to adjust for problems, and concludes with implications for how the CPS might be enhanced in order to improve the measurement of health insurance coverage. Issue Paper (.pdf)