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.

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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  • Federal Funding Under the Affordable Care Act

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet provides highlights from an analysis tracking the flow of federal Affordable Care Act funds to states as reporter in the Department of Health and Human Services grant database as well as periodic reports from HHS and the Internal Revenue Service. The analysis distinguishes between funds awarded to state and local governments (including state and local health departments and school districts) and private entities (including private employers, health centers, universities, and other community-based…

  • The Implications of a Loss in Public Health Coverage

    Event Date:
    Event

    A new Health Affairs article and a policy brief examine the implications of cuts to public coverage programs like Medicaid and SCHIP. The Health Affairs article finds that Medicaid and SCHIP cuts would increase emergency department visits by the uninsured, suggesting that cost containment actions on public coverage programs would shift costs to hospital uncompensated care. The policy brief examines the share of current enrollees in public programs who would have other coverage options if…

  • Health Coverage for Low-Income Americans:  An Evidence-Based Approach to Public Policy

    Report

    Health Coverage for Low-Income Americans: An Evidence-Based Approach to Public Policy This report offers an evidence-based framework for developing public policy approaches to covering low-income Americans. The first part of the report is devoted to the question: What is the role for publicly sponsored health insurance? The second part turns to seven central issues in structuring a publicly sponsored health insurance program for the low-income population. The report outlines each of these issues, provides a…

  • Which Path for Health-Care Politics in 2015?

    From Drew Altman

    This was published as a Wall Street Journal Think Tank column on January 6, 2015. Yogi Berra said that when you come to a fork in the road, take it. It will be that kind of year for health-care politics. The status quo is not an option. The key to which path the Affordable Care Act takes is how the Supreme Court rules in King v. Burwell, the case that concerns whether subsidies in the health law can be…

  • Challenges for the Next Obamacare Open Enrollment

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman pinpoints the Affordable Care Act’s five biggest challenges heading into the second open enrollment period.

  • Making Medicare Work Better

    Report

    This report by the Institute for Medicare Practice at Mount Sinai School of Medicine takes a hard look at the operational challenges facing Medicare and considers incremental, structural changes to improve the management of the Medicare program from the standpoint of beneficiaries and providers. Based on interviews with key experts and Medicare stakeholders including representatives of beneficiaries, hospitals, physicians and other providers of care, as well as current and former Congressional and Administration staff, the…

  • Survey on Health Care

    Other Post

    NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School of Government Survey on Health Care A survey by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard s Kennedy School of Government finds that many Americans have real problems when it comes to accessing and paying for health care, and even if they haven't yet faced a problem, many worry about getting and paying for care in the future. The survey also shows that, while people think helping seniors with the…