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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  • Retiree Health Trends and Implications of Possible Medicare Reforms – Report

    Report

    Retiree Health Trends and Implications of Possible Medicare Reforms Prepared by: Hewitt Associates LLC Prepared for: Kaiser Medicare Policy Project September 1997 Preparation of this report was supported by The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Grant Number 96-1710B. The study consists of a review and analysis of recent trends in the provision of employer-sponsored health benefits to retirees, as well as an assessment of potential changes to employer-sponsored retiree health plans in the future, including…

  • Small Employers and Health Insurance and State Reforms of Small Group Health Insurance

    Fact Sheet

    Fact sheets on health insurance among small employers and state reforms of small group health insurance. Fact Sheet: Small Employers and Health Insurance Fact Sheet: Small Employers and Health Insurance Fact Sheet: State Reforms of Small Group Health Insurance Fact Sheet: State Reforms of Small Group Health Insurance

  • Small Employers and Health Insurance and State Reforms of Small Group Health Insurance – Fact Sheet

    Fact Sheet

    Small Employers and Health Insurance Nearly half of all uninsured workers are either self-employed or work for firms with fewer than 25 employees; another 14% are in firms with 25-99 workers (EBRI, 1996). Differences in health coverage depending on the size and type of businesses have existed for years. Today, only half of small businesses sponsor health benefits. Health insurance among small employers has changed dramatically during the first half of the 1990s, however. More…

  • A Forum on the Implications of Changes in the Health Care Environment for Native American Health Care

    Report

    With the assistance of the First Nations Development Institute, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation commissioned several studies of critical issues in Native-American health care. These studies examined the trends shaping the future of Native-American health care; the existing health systems and planning capacity in the Native-American health care system; the changes occurring in the IHS; the role of Medicaid in Native-American health care; the attitudes and preferences of Native American health care consumers; and…

  • 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,…

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

    Report

    Protection in Managed Care Plans: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Proposed Federal Legislation. A side-by-side comparison of the provisions for consumer protection in managed care plans contained in the House and Senate budget reconciliation bills and in eight other consumer protection bills currently under consideration by Congress. These bills, which would increase the regulatory oversight of the managed care industry by the federal government, are compared in 22 different categories of managed care issues. Report Report

  • Overview of Selected Medicare Provisions: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Medicare Current Law with Selected House and Senate Provisions to the Balanced – Report

    Report

    Understanding the Growth in Medicare's Home Health Expenditures Overview Of Selected Medicare Provisions: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Medicare Current Law with House and Senate Provisions to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 Prepared by: Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. Prepared for: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation July 1997 Preface This report, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, presents a side-by-side comparison of current Medicare law with selected Medicare provisions included in the Balanced Budget Act of…

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

    Report

    Side-By-Side Comparison Of Proposed Federal Legislation For Consumer Protection In Managed Care Plans Nicole Tapay, Karen Pollitz, Jalena Curtis Institute for Health Care Research and Policy Georgetown University Medical Center July 18, 1997 Issue Summary Over the past decade, an increasing number of Americans have been receiving their health care coverage through HMOs, PPOs and other types of managed care entities. The growing influence of managed care, in turn, has led consumers and state and…

  • Medicaid and Managed Care: Implications for Low-income Women

    Report

    This commentary reviews Medicaid's role for low-income women and examines the implications Medicaid managed care on the delivery of health services to this vulnerable population. Today 40% of the Medicaid population, mostly poor women and their children, is enrolled in managed care. Medicaid agencies are hoping managed care will control spending and address longstanding problems with access to care. Low-income women have a number of characteristics that make them doubly vulnerable to have trouble accessing…