Uninsured

New and noteworthy

How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2026

This analysis of initial rate filings from all 50 states and DC shows ACA Marketplace insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 18% for 2026, more than double last year’s 7% median proposed increase. The analysis includes proposed rate changes by state and insurer.

Data and analysis

The Uninsured Population 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.

How Many Uninsured Are in the Coverage Gap?

This analysis estimates that 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 coverage ACA's Marketplaces affordable to them.

Key Facts about the Uninsured Population

The number of people ages 0-64 who were uninsured held steady at 25.3 million in 2023, although the number of uninsured children rose from 3.8 million to 4.0 million. Most uninsured people are in low-income families and have at least one worker in the family.

How the Unwinding Affected Enrollees

Over half who were disenrolled say they put off needed medical care while trying to renew Medicaid. Overall, 19% of adults who had Medicaid prior to the start of unwinding say they were disenrolled at some point in the past year. Of this group, a large majority (70%) were left at least temporarily uninsured.

The uninsured: How costs affect care and health, 2023

Latest Polling
8%

Percent of adults who reported not having health insurance
55%

Percent of uninsured adults who reported delaying or forgoing some form of health care due to cost
19%

Percent of uninsured adults who report that they or a family member had difficulty paying medical bills
38%

Percent of uninsured adults who reported not having a usual source of care (vs. 8% of insured adults)

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  • Community Health Centers and Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

    Issue Brief

    In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, emerging evidence suggests drug overdoses, including opioid overdoses, are increasing. As safety net primary care providers, community health centers play a significant role in efforts to address the ongoing opioid crisis and have become a major source of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), the standard of care for those with opioid use disorder (OUD). This issue brief presents findings from a 2019 survey of community health centers on activities related to the prevention and treatment of OUD, with a focus on MAT, to assess services and capacity prior to the recent surge in need.

  • Are Uninsured Adults Who Could Gain Medicaid Coverage Working?

    Fact Sheet

    As additional states consider whether to implement the ACA Medicaid expansion, some have raised pursuing waiver authority to tie Medicaid eligibility for adults under the expansion to work requirements. This fact sheet profiles uninsured adults who could gain Medicaid coverage under the ACA by their relationship to the workforce and job-based coverage.

  • The Health-Care Enrollment Story Is in the States

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman examines the variation among states beneath the national Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace enrollment numbers released by the Department of Health and Human Services.

  • If Health Insurance Subsidies Are Struck Down, States Will Need Time

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman explores a practical timetable for state action if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs in King V. Burwell and ponders what Republicans in Congress might do.

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: March 2015

    Feature

    As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marks its fifth anniversary, this month’s poll finds the gap between favorable and unfavorable opinions of the law has narrowed to the closest margin in over two years. Although the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the King v. Burwell case in early March, the majority of the public continues to say they have heard only a little or nothing at all about the case. The survey also includes a look at Americans’ experiences reporting their insurance status on their taxes for the first time, and finds that nearly half are unaware that the requirement to report health insurance status on their taxes takes effect this year.

  • At Five Year Anniversary of the ACA, Gap Between Favorable and Unfavorable Views Among The Public Narrows to Smallest Spread in More Than Two Years

    News Release

    Most Expect Negative Consequences if Supreme Court Prohibits Subsidies in States Without Their Own Insurance Exchanges; Two Thirds of the Public and Those in Affected States Want Congress or Their State to Close Any Gaps As April 15 Tax Deadline Nears, Nearly Half Unaware Insurance Reporting Requirement Starts This Year Five years after President Obama…

  • Eliminating the ACA: What Could It Mean for Medicaid Expansion?

    Policy Watch

    The debate over filling the Supreme Court seat previously held by Ruth Bader Ginsburg has brought renewed attention to the possibility of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) being overturned under the court challenge in California v. Texas, currently scheduled to be heard shortly after the election this November. The expansion of Medicaid was a central component of the ACA, and 39 states have now adopted the ACA expansion into their Medicaid programs. Because Medicaid is administered by states, under federal guidelines, there may be some confusion about how overturning the federal law would affect state Medicaid programs.