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

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1,051-1,060 of 1,313 results

  • Health Care Costs Survey – Summary and Chartpack

    Poll Finding

    The summary and chartpack highlight key findings from the joint USA Today/Kaiser/Harvard School of Public Health survey exploring Americans’ views on health care costs. Survey Summary and Chartpack (.pdf)

  • What Happens When Public Coverage Is No Longer Available?

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief examines national data to determine the share of current enrollees of public health coverage programs who would have alternate coverage options if public coverage were no longer available. The authors estimate that no more than 9 percent of low-income adults would have access to an alternative source of insurance in the absence of public coverage. This research suggests that the vast majority of current enrollees affected by cutbacks in eligibility for public…

  • Retired Steelworkers and Their Health Benefits: Results from a 2004 Survey

    Report

    This Kaiser survey report looks at how the bankruptcies of two steel companies, the LTV Corporation and Bethlehem Steel, affected health coverage for the companies' retirees and dependents. The bankruptcies left about 200,000 retirees and spouses without retiree health coverage in 2002 and 2003. The report provides insight into the impact of a tax credit enacted by Congress in 2002 to provide temporary assistance to workers and retirees in "distressed" industries, including the steel industry.…

  • Who are the Uninsured?  A Consistent Profile Across National Surveys

    Issue Brief

    Who are the Uninsured? A Consistent Profile Across National Surveys This issue brief examines the differences in the estimates of the uninsured population from three major surveys and finds that the estimates are actually more consistent than what is often perceived. In addition, the analysis shows that who the uninsured are does not vary much across national surveys. Issue Brief

  • Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care for Low-Income Non-Citizen Children

    Issue Brief

    Largely due to a high uninsured rate, low-income, non-citizen children have very poor access to care, with many lacking a regular provider and going without preventive care. This brief examines health coverage and access to care for low-income, non-citizen children to provide insight into the challenges they face in obtaining health insurance and accessing care. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 — June 2007

    Poll Finding

    This June tracking poll finds that health care remains the top domestic issue that the public wants presidential candidates to address, trailing only Iraq on the public’s overall priority list. Iraq ranks first among Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike. Health care ranks second among Democrats and Independents, while Republicans rank immigration second and health care third.  Immigration rose sharply as an issue in the new poll, which was taken as media attention focused on the…

  • Key Findings: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 — June 2007

    Poll Finding

    This document presents key findings from the June 2007 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008, which tracks changes in the saliency of health as a political and policy priority, what the public’s priorities are for a health reform plan and whether any candidates are breaking through with the public with their health reform plans   Key Findings (.pdf)

  • How Non-Group Health Coverage Varies With Income

    Report

    With some federal and state policy makers considering ways to encourage more people to purchase non-group, or individual, health care coverage, this new analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers examines how often people at different income levels buy such coverage when they do not have access to employer coverage or do not obtain public coverage. The analysis finds that relatively few people at lower incomes purchase non-group coverage, with one in 20 purchasing it among…

  • New Reports and Briefing Focus on Dental Health Coverage and Access

    Fact Sheet

    More than 100 million Americans have no insurance to help cover dental needs. With health reform discussions ongoing, the Foundation's Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) cosponsored a briefing which examined oral health in the broader conversation of improving quality and expanding access. Three new reports from KCMU were released at the event. Access to Affordable Dental Care: Gaps for Low-Income Adults Filling an Urgent Need: Improving Children’s Access to Dental Care in…