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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381-390 of 1,313 results

  • USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of Households Affected by Cancer

    Poll Finding

      USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of Households Affected by Cancer This USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey provides an in-depth examination of how families cope with cancer and highlights problems of health insurance and health care costs through the lens of those who have experienced this major illness. The survey shows the disease’s devastating impact often extends beyond an individual patient to affect entire families…

  • The Decline in the Uninsured in 2007: Why Did It Happen and Can It Last?

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief examines the underlying shifts in health insurance coverage in 2007, which resulted in a 1.5 million decrease in the number of uninsured people under age 65, due to increased public coverage. This includes about 300,000 in Massachusetts, which implemented its comprehensive health reform that year. The brief also projects that the current economic downturn and rising unemployment rate likely will cause the number of uninsured to grow by at least 2 million…

  • Explaining Health Care Reform: What is Health Insurance?

    Issue Brief

    A key element in any comprehensive health reform plan is defining what health insurance is and the amount of insurance coverage people will have. There are two components to that coverage: the types of services covered (e.g., physician care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, etc.), and the cost sharing required of enrollees (e.g., the annual deductible, the copayments or coinsurance, and the maximum out-of-pocket costs for a year). The overall approach to reform drives the kinds of…

  • Oral Histories: Report From a Dental Fair for Uninsured Adults

    Report

    This report profiles patients attending a dental fair in rural Virginia to highlight the impact of lack of coverage for oral health services on adults. Uninsured adults have vast oral care needs, and untreated dental problems can have serious health, employment and social consequences, highlighting the relationship between inadequate benefits and unmet health needs. Report (.pdf)

  • Resources Examine Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Men at the State Level

    Other Post

    The Foundation has created a package of resources, including a comprehensive report, fact sheets and other materials, that document the persistence of disparities on 22 indicators between white men and men of color, including rates of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, AIDS and cancer, and access to health insurance and health screenings. The resources provide a rare look at state-level variations, quantifying where disparities are greatest. Also available are state-level data for men of…

  • Enrollment Increases in State CHIP Programs: December 1998 to June 1999

    Report

    A new survey of state officials, conducted by Vernon Smith of Health Management Associates for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, found that the number of children enrolled in stateCHIP programs has grown to more than 1.3 million in June 1999 from about 835,000 in December 1998. The survey was released at the July 30th Alliance for Health Reform Briefing on state efforts to enroll more kids in the Children's Health Insurance Program.…

  • Expanding Medicaid to Low-Income Childless Adults Under Health Reform: Key Lessons From State Experiences

    Issue Brief

    The health reform law will expand Medicaid to millions of low-income adults, including many childless adults who have historically been ineligible for the program, necessitating one of the largest enrollment efforts in the program's history. This report, based on interviews with officials in seven states and the District of Columbia and national experts, examines lessons learned from past state experience covering childless adults through waiver and state-funded programs and profiles the programs included in the…

  • The Arizona KidsCare CHIP Enrollment Freeze: How Has It Impacted Enrollment and Families?

    Issue Brief

    This paper examines the impact on enrollment and families of Arizona's Dec. 21, 2009, decision to freeze enrollment in KidsCare, the state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The CHIP enrollment freeze, enacted in response to recession-driven state budget pressures, saved the state $12.9 million in FY 2011, but has also resulted in more than 100,000 children being placed on a waiting list for coverage and the loss of $41 million in federal matching funds. Issue…

  • Express Lane Eligibility: How to Enroll Large Groups of Eligible Children in Medicaid and CHIP

    Report

    This issue paper explores the potential for increasing enrollment in children's health insurance programs through "Express Lane Eligibility." Express Lane Eligibility is the accelerated enrollment of low-income uninsured children already participating in other income-comparable publicly funded programs, such as WIC or school lunch, into Medicaid or CHIP. The paper reviews Express Lane Eligibility's potential impact on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, analyzes different models, discusses key challenges with implementation, and suggests steps states and localities can…

  • Health Insurance Coverage Of Low-Income Women

    Fact Sheet

    Low-income women's high rate of health problems and limited economic resources make access to health care and adequate health insurance coverage particularly important. Health coverage, whether through the private sector or publicly through Medicaid, has been demonstrated to improve access to care for low-income women. However, obtaining coverage is not easy or even possible for many women. Job-based insurance is not always an option for low-income women, despite their high workforce participation. Assistance is available…