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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.

State Health Facts: Health Coverage & the Uninsured

Get data on health insurance status for the population overall and broken down by age, gender, and income. More than 800 up-to-date health indicators at the state level can be mapped, ranked, and downloaded through State Health Facts.

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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  • How Are Safety Net Hospitals Responding to Health Care Financing Changes?

    Report

    A new background report sums up how multiple trends have led to a situation where safety net hospitals are feeling more financial pressure and are challenged to subsidize the unprofitable care of theuninsured. Background Paper For a more extensive discussion read our larger report from the same study.

  • Prescription Drug Coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries: A Side-by-Side Comparison

    Other Post

    This document, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provides a side-by-side comparison of five major federal proposals under consideration to provide outpatient prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries. It includes both a summary and a detailed comparison of the following major proposals: S. 357, The Medicare Preservation and Improvement Act of 2001 (Breaux/Frist I), S. 358, The Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2001 (Breaux-Frist II), H.R. 4680, The Medicare Rx 2000 Act (passed…

  • First Glance at the Children’s Health Initiative in Santa Clara County, California

    Report

    A new background report examines Santa Clara County in California in its effort to provide health insurance coverage (Children's Health Initiative or CHI) to all children living in the county. As one of the first localities to attempt such an initiative, its experiences can highlight important lessons and potential best practices for policymakers at the county, state, and national level considering coverage expansions for children. Also see Lessons from the Field: Increasing Enrollment in Children's…

  • Key Facts: Women and Medicare

    Report

    Medicare is a critical source of health insurance coverage for virtually all older women in the U.S. and for many younger women who have permanent disabilities. Today, 22 million women one in five adult women rely on Medicare for basic health insurance protection. In fact, women comprise 57% of the Medicare population. Medicare helps to make health care more affordable for older women at a time in their lives when they are most likely to…

  • Medicare and Prescription Drug Focus Groups

    Report

    Summary Report This report, : Summary Report, produced jointly by the bipartisan team of Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies and Geoff Garin of Peter D. Hart Research Associates, presents key findings from a series of eight focus groups on the Medicare program and the current debate over prescription drug coverage and Medicare reform. These groups, conducted in four cities with both elderly and non-elderly participants in June 2001, explored attitudes about Medicare and how…

  • Covering the Low-Income Uninsured: Assessing the Alternatives

    Report

    This issue brief describes and analyzes expansions of Medicaid and SCHIP, tax credits for individually-purchased insurance, and tax credits for employment-based health insurance as options to expand health coverage of the low-income population. Issue Paper

  • Restructuring Medicaid Financing: Implications of the NGA Proposal

    Report

    An analysis of the National Governors Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core of the proposal. The report considers possible responses to the reforms and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program.

  • SCHIP Managed Care Contracting

    Report

    The fourth in a series of reports on implementation issues and challenges in the first year of S-CHIP finds that states have been able to enter arrangements with plans for their S-CHIP population fairly easily. REPORT Download

  • SCHIP Administration and Accountability

    Report

    The third in a series of reports on implementation issues and challenges in the first year of S-CHIP finds that non-Medicaid S-CHIP programs faced more administrative challenges. Success with enrollment appeared primarily related to administrative decisions, including a lower band of S-CHIP income eligibility, and the lack of premiums. REPORT Download