Home Uninsured Topics

Uninsured

New and noteworthy

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 >>

Latest News

No Posts to Show

More KFF Health News

Subscribe to KFF Emails

Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here

View the Latest: Uninsured

Filter

List Grid

1,101 - 1,110 of 1,309 Results

  • Profile of the Low-Income Uninsured

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief provides an overview of the low-income, uninsured population. Based on an analysis of the March 1998 Current Population Survey, the report discusses the demographic characteristics of this vulnerable population. It also presents information detailing health insurance coverage for low-income children and adults, as well as trends in insurance coverage over the past decade. It concludes with a discussion of recent coverage expansions and policy changes that have affected low-income Americans. The policy…

  • Medicaid Enrollment in 21 States: June 1997 – June 1999

    Report

    This report, Medicaid Enrollment in 21 States: June 1997 -June 1999, prepared by Health Management Associates, includes enrollment data obtained directly from state Medicaid and CHIP programs. Findings show that across the 21 states, which represent 73% of total Medicaid enrollment, enrollment fell from 23.2 million in June 1997 to 22.6 million in June 1998, but turned upward in June 1999 to 22.9 million. State-by-state data is included for: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Ilinois, Indiana,…

  • New Numbers on Enrollment of Uninsured Children

    Report

    This report reveals that the total number of children enrolled in state CHIP programs had grown to 1.8 million by December 1999, a 112% increase from December 1998. Although enrollment doubled in 20 states during that year, growth did begin to moderate in several states that had implemented their programs relatively earlier on. The report also demonstrates that enrollment of new children continued at roughly the same pace during the second half of 1999 as…

  • Making It Simple: Medicaid for Children and CHIP Income Eligibility Guidelines and Enrollment Procedures

    Report

    This is a study of the enrollment process in children's Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the 50 states and Washington, DC. Prepared by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the study is comprised of a nationwide telephone survey of state officials, a review of state CHIP plans, and interviews with state child health advocates. The focus of the study is on income eligibility guidelines, simplification of applications, enrollment and redetermination…

  • Immigrant Health Care Conference Call

    Report

    Federal and state policymakers face a major challenge in addressing the health needs of an increasingly diverse population. That challenge can be even greater in the growing number of cities and states with large immigrant communities. In a Commission-sponsored conference call on May 15, experts on immigrant health issues discussed recent findings about how the health system is and is not working for immigrants and their potential policy implications. Audio from the conference call is…

  • National Election Night Survey of Voters, 1994

    Poll Finding

    Among Issues, Voters See Health Reform As Top Priority for New Congress But Reject Major Overhaul of System For More Modest Approach Embargoed for release: 12:00 p.m. EST Tuesday, November 15, 1994 For further information contact: Matt James or Tina Hoff National Election Night Survey Also Finds: Voters Support Spending Cuts to Reduce Deficit in Theory, But Not in Practice When Specific Budget Areas Are Proposed Menlo Park, CA -- A Kaiser/Harvard election night survey…

  • Low-Income and Uninsured: The Challenge for Extending Coverage

    Event Date:
    Event

    Diane Rowland, executive director of the Commission, testified to the Senate Committee on Finance about the low-income uninsured. The testimony provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the population and discusses the challenges of providing them health coverage. Please note: the video is no longer available.  If you have an urgent need for the video, you may contact us (choose “problem with video” on the form) and we will try to locate the video. Include the…

  • National Survey of Physicians Part I: Doctors on Disparities in Medical Care

    Other Post

    Selected findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation's forthcoming National Survey of Physicians reveal that most physicians are aware of racial disparities in medical treatment for specific conditions, but they don't believe it is a widespread problem. In sharp contrast, African American physicians disagree with their fellow physicians with nearly eight in ten (77%) believing race and ethnicity impact how people are treated at least somewhat often. Physicians see insurance status as a key determinate of…

  • Designing Health Purchasing Alliances/Cooperatives: Federal Policy Issues and Options

    Other Post

    A comparison of the key features of alliance design in the Clinton, Chafee/Thomas, and Cooper/Breaux health reform proposals of 1994, examining the trade-offs inherent in alternative alliance design.(For more information about alliances, see #2063, Permitting Voluntary Enrollment in Regional Alliances Under the Health Security Act: The Impact on Spending for Employers and the Federal Government.) Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a copy may still exist in the Foundation's internal library that…

  • How Well Does the Employment-Based Health Insurance System Work for Low-Income Families?

    Other Post

    Part 3 What Explains the Coverage Decline? Rapidly rising health care costs-or, more precisely, employers' responses to costs-have contributed to the widespread erosion of employer coverage. As employers have shifted costs to workers, participation has dropped. Low-wage workers have been disproportionately affected by rising costs, losing access to coverage as well as finding participation more difficult. Their problems have been exacerbated by structural changes in labor markets, which have weakened the tie between jobs and…