Home Uninsured Topics

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
Other key facts about the uninsured >>

Latest News

No Posts to Show

More KFF Health News

Subscribe to KFF Emails

Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here

View the Latest: Uninsured

Filter

List Grid

281 - 290 of 1,309 Results

  • How Will The Uninsured Be Affected By Health Reform?

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines who the uninsured are and explores how they could be affected by health reform, including estimates of how many might qualify for coverage under a Medicaid expansion, how many would be eligible for subsidies and how many would not be eligible for such help. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Toplines: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — September 2009

    Poll Finding

    This document contains the toplines from the September Health Tracking Poll. The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted September 11 through September 18, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,203 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (801) and cell phone (402, including 147 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of…

  • Toplines: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — December 2009

    Poll Finding

    This document contains the toplines from the December Health Tracking Poll. The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted December 7 through December 13, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,204 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (801) and cell phone (403, including 111 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of…

  • Health Insurance for Unemployed Workers

    Event Date:
    Event

    Submitted testimony of Diane Rowland, executive director of the Commission, about health insurance options for unemployed workers. She was scheduled to testify to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, but the hearing was postponed.

  • Health Care Affordability and the Uninsured

    Event

    Diane Rowland testified at a hearing on the instability of health coverage before the Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. Her testimony discussed the growing share of Americans who are uninsured and without adequate health insurance coverage and highlighted the key characteristics and issues with regard to the uninsured as well as the financial burdens for medical care faced by America's families. Testimony (.pdf)

  • Uninsured Young Adults: A Profile and Overview of Coverage Options

    Issue Brief

    Young adults, age 19-29, have the highest uninsured rate of any age group. Since 29% of the uninsured are young adults, efforts to decrease the overall number of uninsured must address this population. This brief examines health coverage for young adults, as well as their health status, access to care, and the financial burdens they encounter when paying for care. It also provides an overview of public and private approaches to expand health coverage for…

  • Pulling It Together: The “R” Word Is Back

    Perspective

    Longer ago than I care to admit, I got my start in health policy at M.I.T. when I wrote a book about health care regulation. The book was about a long forgotten attempt to rationalize the health care system through an elaborate health planning program set up in the seventies under the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act. It established a system of federal, state and regional planning bodies to control health care costs by limiting the supply of…

  • Chartpack: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — July 2009

    Poll Finding

    This document contains the chartpack from the July Health Tracking Poll. The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted July 7 through July 14, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,205 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (800) and cell phone (405, including 126 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of…

  • Individuals with Special Needs and Health Reform: Adequacy of Health Insurance Coverage

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief examines the health care needs and health costs of individuals with special health challenges, focusing on those with low-to-moderate incomes. It finds that even under a benefit package more generous than most offered in the private insurance market, individuals and families can face significant gaps in coverage and large out-of-pocket costs, especially if they have serious health conditions. The findings have implications for the health reform debate as policymakers consider minimum standards…

  • Filling the Gaps: Dental Care, Coverage and Access

    Event Date:
    Event

    While the Affordable Care Act is expected to expand public and private coverage for children when it takes effect in 2014, significant gaps will remain, especially for low-income adults age 21 and older. This June 19, 2012, a public forum at the Foundation's Washington, D.C. offices examined the gaps and disparities in dental coverage and care in the United States today; the health, social, and other consequences of these systemic deficiencies; and promising strategies for…