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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.

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 >>

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  • How Many of the Uninsured Can Purchase a Marketplace Plan for Free in 2020?

    Issue Brief

    This analysis looks at how many of the remaining uninsured are eligible for premium subsidies that are large enough to cover the entire cost of a bronze plan, which is the minimum level of coverage available on the Marketplaces. It estimates 28% of uninsured individuals who could shop on the ACA Marketplace, or 4.7 million people nationwide, are eligible to purchase a bronze plan with $0 premiums after subsidies in 2020.

  • Optimizing Medicaid Enrollment: Spotlight on Technology – Wisconsin’s ACCESS Internet Portal

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines how ACCESS, a web-based, self-service tool developed by the state of Wisconsin, helps Wisconsin residents find out whether they may be eligible for BadgerCare Plus and other public programs, as well as apply for benefits, check and renew benefits, and report changes to keep their eligibility current -- all online. It is the second brief in a Spotlight on Technology series profiling several states' innovative applications of technology to Medicaid enrollment efforts.…

  • Health Care Reform: Issues Relating to Managed Care

    Other Post

    Health Care Reform: Issues Relating to Managed Care Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a copy may still exist in the Foundation's internal library that could be reproduced. Please email order@kff.org if you would like to pursue this option.

  • Public Opinion Update-3006-Public-Opinion-Update

    Other Post

    Public Opinion Update Public Opinion Update Public Opinion Update THE UNINSURED The debate over how to expand health insurance coverage to the over 44 million Americans without it continues to be one of the most challenging issues facing policymakers today. This Public Opinion Update summarizes key findings from several surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health and a new survey conducted by the Foundation in conjunction with the…

  • Prescription Drugs: Results from a National Survey

    Fact Sheet

    Prescription drugs have become an integral part of medical practice - they help keep people healthy and save lives. But rising prescription drug costs have placed a growing burden on consumers, employers, and public programs. The issue of drug coverage for seniors under Medicare has moved to center stage in the Presidential election. Findings from The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health "National Survey on Prescription Drugs," a Public Opinion Update…

  • States with the Fastest Recent Growth in ACA Marketplace Coverage Started with High Uninsured Rates

    News Release

    The states with the fastest recent growth in ACA Marketplace signups also had among the highest uninsured rates previously, as enhanced subsidies helped to make coverage more affordable for many consumers, particularly in southern states that did not expand their Medicaid programs to cover low-income adults, a new KFF analysis finds. The enhanced premium subsidies were first provided in the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and then extended through 2025 in the Inflation Reduction Act.…

  • Millions of Uninsured People Can Get Free ACA Plans

    Policy Watch

    This post estimates that about 5 million uninsured people across the country could get coverage through an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan with virtually no monthly premium if they enroll during the 2023 open enrollment period, which runs through Jan. 15 in most states.

  • How Many Uninsured Adults Could Be Reached If All States Expanded Medicaid?

    Issue Brief

    As more people lose their jobs and accompanying ESI, more may fall into the coverage gap, particularly starting in 2021 after unemployment benefits expire for many who have lost their jobs and incomes are likely to drop below the minimum threshold for marketplace subsidies. This analysis estimates how many uninsured adults—including those uninsured even before the pandemic and those who could become uninsured as a result of it— could become eligible for Medicaid if states…