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

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171 - 180 of 1,309 Results

  • Major Federal and State Funding Cuts Facing Planned Parenthood

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief presents data from the most recent tracking poll asking if people have ever visited a Planned Parenthood clinic for health care services and looks at the funding cuts Planned Parenthood is currently facing including Medicaid, Title X, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention funds.

  • The Affordable Care Act Doesn’t Rank Highly As an Issue for Voters in the Presidential Primaries

    News Release

    Despite Anecdotal Reports about Narrow Networks, 87% of Working-Age Adults with Insurance Are Satisfied With Their Plan's Choice of Doctors; 12% Say They Had to Change Doctors in Past Year As the ACA's Open Enrollment Nears End, Most of Those Who Remain Uninsured Are Disengaged While this month Congress passed and President Obama vetoed legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, voters nationally aren't focused on the law in this year's presidential election, the latest…

  • How Has the Pandemic Affected Health Coverage in the U.S.?

    Policy Watch

    Findings from administrative data suggest that the decline in enrollment among employer-sponsored insurance was far less than overall declines in employment as of September, and that many who did lose their job-based coverage likely found a safety net in coverage through Medicaid or the ACA marketplaces.

  • Health Reform Roundtables: Charting A Course Forward

    Report

    Health Reform Roundtables: Charting A Course Forward is a series of discussions among federal officials, state officials and outside experts that provides an opportunity to share insights and explore key issues related to implementing a significant expansion of the Medicaid program as part of the new health reform law that will require most U.S. citizens and legal residents to obtain health coverage. States will be largely responsible for implementing the Medicaid expansion, which will provide…

  • What Options Exist If You’ve Lost Job-based Health Insurance? (Video)

    Video

    As unemployment skyrockets due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of millions of people are at risk of losing their job-based health insurance. However, the majority of people are eligible for other forms of health insurance coverage. Watch this two minute video to learn about the options: Medicaid, job-based coverage from a spouse or parent, ACA marketplace coverage, COBRA and short-term insurance plans.

  • Health Care One Year After Hurricane Katrina

    Event Date:
    Event

    Health Care One Year After Hurricane Katrina Extended interviews with survivors and a related film, "Voices of the Storm: Health Care After Katrina," are available below. August 29, 2006, marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's catastrophic landfall. The Kaiser Family Foundation continues its commitment to help respond to the devastation from Hurricane Katrina with new resources about the health care impact of Katrina's aftermath. At a forum held on August 8, the Foundation released…

  • Public Health in a Changing Health Care System: Linkages Between Public Health and MCOs In the Treatment and Prevention of STDs

    Report

    Public health agencies and managed care organizations share responsibility for the health of the populations they serve. Their relationships are particularly important in the area of STDs. This study analyzes the evolving relationships between managed care organizations and public health agencies in how they manage the prevention, treatment, and tracking of STDs. Report

  • The Uninsured & Access to Health Care

    Fact Sheet

    The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care Drawing on data from the updated Uninsured in America: A Chart Book (May 2000), this fact sheet outlines the problem of the uninsured in America, providing data on the growing number of uninsured Americans and a profile of the uninsured population. It also explores causes of uninsurance and synthesizes studies on the effects of going without health coverage. Fact Sheet

  • Disparities in Women’s Health

    Other Post

    Disparities in Women's Health Disparities in health and health care continue to burden women, particularly affecting women of color or those who are poor. To shed more light on the factors contributing to inequalities in health and access to care for women, the Kaiser Family Foundation provided support for the newest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Women's Association (JAMWA) Disparities in Women's Health. This special issue features an editorial by Surgeon General…