Uninsured

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.

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 >>

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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  • The Sad History of Cost Containment as Told in One Chart

    Other Post

    As the nation once again faces double digit increases in health care costs, the seemingly unanswerable question of how to control the problem has suddenly returned to the nation's radar screen. This analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, published in the January 23, 2002 online version of the journal Health Affairs (under Web Exclusives) traces the effectiveness of government and private sector attempts to reign in health care costs over the past three decades and…

  • Where Is The Growth in the Uninsured Population Coming From?

    Other Post

    The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured co-sponsored a policy briefing today to discuss the dynamics of the uninsured population in America. In 2001, the uninsured population grew by 1.4 million people. To increase understanding of who these people are and answer the question of whether the uninsured problem was shifting to higher-income Americans, findings from two new KCMU reports were presented. You may also view background materials on the uninsured and a webcast…

  • Health Insurance Coverage in America, 2010

    Report

    Over 49 million people in the United States had no health insurance coverage in 2010—more than one in every six (18.5%) of the population under age 65. Having a clear picture of who the uninsured are is fundamental to addressing this nation-wide problem. This slideshow provides figures and tables on the uninsured and health insurance coverage for the following subpopulations: nonelderly, children, nonelderly adults and working adults. Figures are provided for important social, economic, and…

  • Pulling it Together: How the ACA Can Help The Homeless

    From Drew Altman

    Estimates are that there are approximately 630,000 people who are homeless on any given night in the U.S. -- about two-thirds in shelters and one-third on the street or without real shelter. Several million people are estimated to experience homelessness over the course of a year. About two-thirds are individuals and the balance are in families. These numbers are virtually identical to national estimates we used when I worked intensively on the issue of homelessness in the…

  • Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On The Map: Access and Utilization Highlights

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet provides a brief overview of racial disparities in health access and utilization among men of different races in the United States. It draws findings from the report, Putting Men’s Health Care Disparities On the Map, which uses national data sources from multiple years to generate state-level estimates on a range of indicators of health status, access, and well-being for men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Men and women use health care…

  • Immigrants’ Health Care Coverage and Access (Update)

    Fact Sheet

    Immigrants' Health Care Coverage and Access This fact sheet profiles the health coverage of the nation's immigrant population and the policy challenges the population faces in accessing health care services. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • Changes in Health Care Coverage 2000-2001

    Report

    This background report analyzes 2001 U.S. Census Bureau data on health coverage to determine the trends that led to 1.4 million people losing health coverage from 2000 to 2001. Report

  • Retiree Health Trends and Implications of Possible Medicare Reforms

    Fact Sheet

    The availability of employer-sponsored retiree health benefits from large companies has declined since 1991, according to a new study conducted for the Kaiser Family Foundation by Hewitt Associates LLC. The study also shows that the number of big businesses charging premiums, tightening eligibility requirements, encouraging use of managed care, and placing dollar caps on coverage increased. In addition, the report concluded that potential changes in the Medicare program, such as a higher eligibility age, could…