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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
Other key facts about the uninsured >>

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381-390 of 1,312 results

  • Economic Stress and the Safety Net: A Health Center Update

    Issue Brief

    The issue paper provides data on the demographic profile of health center patients and the revenue sources available for financing their care, including recent increases in federal discretionary funding. It examines the impact of the recent economic downturn on health centers in selected communities, exploring the effect of elevated unemployment levels among lower wage workers, declining private health insurance coverage, and widespread cutbacks in Medicaid--the single most important source of health center financing. Issue Paper…

  • Uninsured Children in the South, December 2007

    Report

    Uninsured Children in the South, December 2007 Commissioned by the Foundation, this report by the Southern Institute on Children and Families provides state-by-state estimates of uninsured children in the southern region of the country, which contains 17 states and the District of Columbia. The report contains fact sheets showing estimates of uninsured children for each of these states and shows that nearly half (46%) of the over nine million uninsured children in the United States…

  • Briefing – A Foundation for Health Reform: Findings of An Annual 50-State Survey of Eligibility Rules, Enrollment and Renewal Procedures and Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and CHIP for Children and Parents During 2009

    Report

    In 2009, despite the bleakest economic picture in years, states managed to safeguard and in some cases expand health coverage for children and parents in their Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility rules, enrollment and renewal procedures and cost-sharing Practices. That was in large part due to the substantial help that states received through the congressional reauthorization of CHIP and the…

  • Uncompensated Care for the Uninsured in 2013: A Detailed Examination

    Report

    This report provides estimates of spending for uncompensated care, in 2013, just before implementation of health reform’s major coverage provisions. The report estimates the amount of uncompensated care provided, analyzes the site of care for uncompensated services, and details sources of funding for uncompensated care. These estimates provide an important baseline against which to measure major changes that are occurring under the ACA.

  • What Worked and What’s Next? Strategies in Four States Leading ACA Enrollment Efforts

    Issue Brief

    This brief highlights the experiences of four states—Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Washington—that established a State-based Marketplace (SBM), implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, and achieved success enrolling eligible individuals into coverage. Based on interviews with key stakeholders in each state, it identifies effective strategies that contributed to enrollment and current priorities looking forward.

  • Web Briefing: What Worked, What’s Next? Strategies in Four States Leading ACA Enrollment Efforts

    Event Date:
    Event

    On Monday, July 28, the Kaiser Family Foundation held an interactive web briefing to examine the experiences and lessons of four states -- Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Washington -- that each established state-based Marketplaces, expanded their Medicaid programs, and successfully enrolled eligible individuals into Medicaid and Marketplace coverage under the ACA.  The briefing drew upon a new issue brief released today by the Foundation’s Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU), What Worked and…

  • Web Briefing: What Worked, What’s Next? Strategies in Four States Leading ACA Enrollment Efforts

    News Release

    On Monday, July 28 from 1 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT, the Kaiser Family Foundation will hold an interactive web briefing to examine the experiences and lessons of four states - Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Washington - that each established state-based Marketplaces, expanded their Medicaid programs, and successfully enrolled eligible individuals into Medicaid and Marketplace coverage under the ACA. The briefing will draw upon a new issue brief released today by the Foundation’s Kaiser Commission…

  • Access to Care for Low-Income Women: The Impact of Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    Health coverage is of critical importance to low-income women. This study was undertaken to assess how low-income women with Medicaid, private insurance, or no insurance vary with regard to personal characteristics, health status, and health utilization. Data are from a telephone interview survey of a representative cross-sectional sample of 5,200 low-income women in Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. On the whole, low-income women were found to experience considerable barriers to care; however, uninsured low-income…