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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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  • Health Centers: An Overview and Analysis of Their Experiences With Private Health Insurance

    Report

    This policy brief provides an overview of health centers, with a special focus on the relationship between health centers and private health insurance. The analysis of 10 years of national data reveals that health centers do not receive adequate reimbursement from private insurers to cover the costs of treating commercially insured patients. The cumulative shortfalls jeopardize the ability of health centers to fulfill their mission of providing access to care for low-income patients. Issue Brief…

  • Medicaid, SCHIP and Economic Downturn: Policy Challenges and Policy Responses

    Report

    Medicaid, SCHIP and Economic Downturn: Policy Challenges and Policy Responses A new analysis conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured examines the implications of a downturn for health coverage and state programs and projects the impact of one percentage point rise in the national unemployment rate on Medicaid and SCHIP and the number of uninsured individuals. The analysis also documents how federal fiscal relief during the last economic downturn of…

  • Filling an Urgent Need: Improving Children’s Access to Dental Care in Medicaid and SCHIP

    Report

    In October 2007, the Foundation’s Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the National Academy for State Health Policy convened a day-long meeting of policy officials and oral health experts to discuss children’s access to dental care in Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and exchange information and perspectives on the strategies have worked best to improve it. This report summarizes the 15 experts recommendations on a wide assortment of effective…

  • Medicare: Holes in the Safety Net

    Other Post

    Medicare: Holes in the Safety Net This report discusses findings from focus groups that consisted of those individuals who interact with the Medicare program, including beneficiaries, health professionals, caretakers, and program management staff. A press release summarizing the findings of 15 focus groups conducted nationwide on public attitudes toward and understanding of the Medicare system in the United States is available. Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a few copies may still…

  • Risk Selection Issues Under Medicare Reform Proposals

    Report

    This report compares the provisions designed to guard against risk selection among the Medicare population in both the Congressional Balanced Budget Act of 1995 and in the President's budget plan released in December 1995. The report also explores provisions in both that may exacerbate the potential for risk selection. Report:

  • Protection in Managed Care Plans: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Proposal Federal Legislation

    Other Post

    Part I: Congressional Budget Reconciliation Proposals A. Entities Regulated Issue H.R. 2015--House Budget Bill(Medicare) S. 947--Senate Budget Bill(Medicare) H.R. 2015--House Budget Bill(Medicaid) S. 947--Senate Budget Bill(Medicaid) Establishes new Medicare managed care program, "MedicarePlus;" MedicarePlus plan options include coordinated care plans (HMOs, PPOs), MSA plans (exceptions for MSA plans from some requirements). (Medicare eligibles can still choose the traditional fee-for-service program.) Medicare; established new "Medicare Choice" program. Medicare Choice plan options include fee-for-service, PPOs, point-of-service plans,…

  • Medicaid and State Budgets: An October 2001 Update

    Report

    An update to "Medicaid Budgets Under Stress: Survey Findings for State Fiscal Year 2000, 2001, and 2002." This paper was commissioned to evaluate how several states' fiscal outlooks have changed since September 11. ISSUE BRIEF Download FULL REPORT Download

  • 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

  • Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cardiac Care: The Weight of the Evidence

    Fact Sheet

    Numerous studies over the past two decades have documented racial and ethnic differences in care for heart conditions. To assess the quality of the evidence and to summarize the information for a physician audience, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation collaborated with the American College of Cardiology Foundation to review the body of research on racial/ethnic differences in cardiac care. There is credible evidence that minority patients are less likely than white patients to receive…