Uninsured

New and noteworthy

Quote from KFF President and CEO Drew Altman reads, "when it comes to the “affordability crisis” driving the national discussion of health care today, the chronically ill, and most of all the chronically ill uninsured, are the tip of the spear."

The Group that Struggles the Most in American Health Care

In a new column, Dr. Drew Altman, KFF’s Founding President and CEO, previews findings about the chronically ill uninsured from a large KFF survey of 25,000 Americans focusing on the cost and access challenges facing the chronically ill, which will be released tomorrow. He writes: “There are more than enough needs to go around in American health care, but if I had to pick the one group that struggles the most with costs and access, it would be people with chronic illnesses who are also uninsured.”

Other “Beyond the Data” columns >>

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.

Data and analysis

The coverage gap exists because some states did not expand Medicaid under the ACA to cover adults under age 65 without dependent children with incomes at/below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL)

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 ACA tax credits that would make coverage affordable.

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.

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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301-310 of 1,312 results

  • The Growth of Managed Care: Are Women Getting What They Need?

    Fact Sheet

    How the Changing Health Care Marketplace Affects Coverage and Access to Reproductive Health A fact sheet, Q&A and resource list prepared for a media briefing held in New York on March 27, 1996. The purpose of the briefing was to respond to questions about how reproductive health services are currently delivered in managed care systems and to explore the implications of the growing managed care environment for women's ability to get the reproductive health care…

  • Access to Care for the Insured and Remaining Uninsured: A Look at California During Year One of ACA Implementation

    Issue Brief

    California is a bellwether state for understanding the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Much attention has been paid to enrollment in California's new coverage options, such as the Medicaid expansion (Medi-Cal) and plans sold through ACA marketplaces (Covered California), and to changes in the uninsured from 2013 to 2014. However, less is known about how this coverage has affected people’s access to care and financial security, and why others remain uninsured. This report,…

  • Health Coverage and Care in the South in 2014 and Beyond

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief provides an overview of health coverage and care in the South today, with a focus on demographics, the impact of the ACA coverage expansions, and ongoing efforts to improve the delivery system and safety net in the South.

  • The Twin Goals of Health Insurance

    From Drew Altman

    Drew Altman, in The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, examines a study finding Massachusetts' health reform saved lives in the context of health insurance's twin goal: better access to improve health and economic security.

  • Cover the Uninsured Week 2004 – Kaiser Family Foundation Resources

    Other Post

    May 10 - 16, 2004 is Cover the Uninsured Week. This week, organized by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was developed to focus the nation’s attention on America's uninsured population. On May 5, 2004, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched Cover the Uninsured Week at an event in Washington, DC. Webcast: Cover the Uninsured Week Launch On May 10, 2004, The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is sponsoring a breakfast briefing, "The Cost…

  • The Uninsured And The Difference Health Insurance Makes

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet describes the characteristics of the uninsured and explains the recent increase in this population. It also examines the difference that health insurance can make and how health reform is expected to cover millions more people.

  • Visualizing Health Policy: Health Care Coverage and Access for Men, 2013-2015

    Other Post

    This June 2015 Visualizing Health Policy infographic provides a snapshot of men’s health care and insurance coverage issues, including health status, access to care and use of services. It compares the uninsured rates of men and women before and after coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act; their cost barriers to care, their connection to clinicians, and their use of prescription drugs, screening, and counseling services.