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Uninsured

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.

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 >>

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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  • Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Health Insurance and Health Care

    Fact Sheet

    Racial and ethnic groups in the United States continue to experience major differences in health status compared to the majority white population. Although many factors affect health status, the lack of health insurance and other barriers to obtaining health services markedly diminish minorities' use of both preventive services and medical treatments. This report, produced in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, examines health insurance coverage and access to physician services among African…

  • The Medicaid Eligibility Maze: Coverage Expands, but Problems Persist

    Report

    This report examines Medicaid eligibility policies and operations in five states - California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin - following initial changes introduced by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 and the new Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The study findings suggest that eligibility policy expansions alone may not prevent Medicaid enrollment declines. The report discusses several problem areas affecting Medicaid eligibility and enrollment operations including challenges in severing Medicaid…

  • Getting Behind the Numbers on Access to Care

    Report

    A national telephone survey, conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Opinion Research Center, of 3,993 randomly selected U.S. adults between February and April 1995. The questions probed for three events in the prior year: an episode of being uninsured, problems getting medical care, and/or problems paying medical bills. The 1,234 adults (31% of respondents) who said they had at least one of the three…

  • Solvency or Affordability?  Ways to Measure Medicare’s Financial Health

    Report

    Solvency or Affordability? Ways to Measure Medicare's Financial Health This report examines different ways of measuring Medicare s financial health and considers their implications for the future of the program and the people it serves. Using an alternative measure of Medicare's long-term affordability that focuses on workers' capacity to absorb additional costs over time, the analysis concludes that the nation could afford to pay more for Medicare in the future without imposing an undue burden…

  • Medicare State Profiles: State and Regional Data on Medicare and the Population it Serves

    Report

    Although Medicare is a national program, there are substantial variations across states and regions in terms of beneficiary characteristics, health needs, and utilization of Medicare-covered services. Likewise, there are also considerable differences in Medicare spending and the emergence of Medicare managed care. In a single resource document, , presents state-by-state demographic data on the Medicare population, along with information on health service utilization, spending, and Medicare HMO penetration. It also provides regional data on the…

  • Public Opinion Update-3006-Public-Opinion-Update

    Other Post

    Public Opinion Update Public Opinion Update Public Opinion Update THE UNINSURED The debate over how to expand health insurance coverage to the over 44 million Americans without it continues to be one of the most challenging issues facing policymakers today. This Public Opinion Update summarizes key findings from several surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health and a new survey conducted by the Foundation in conjunction with the…

  • Federal Budget Chartbook 2001

    Report

    A new chart book examines Fiscal Year 2002 budget proposals by President Bush and Congress, focusing on their impact on health programs. It provides both an examination of how health care programs fit into the overall U.S. budget and a review of past budget trends and future projections for government health care programs. Chartbook

  • The Southern Institute on Children and Families: Uninsured Children in the South

    Report

    Second Report The Southern Institute on Children and Families released the first report on Uninsured Children in the South in November 1992. The report provided estimates of uninsured children by state with age and income breakouts related to Medicaid. This is the second report on Uninsured Children in the South. It provides estimates of uninsured children in each southern state from two perspectives: number of uninsured children in 1993 with percent of uninsured children by…

  • Pulling It Together: The Repeal Trap?

    Perspective

    Almost a year into an often acrimonious health reform debate, we stand poised for near certain passage of historic health reform legislation. Yet, somewhat perplexingly, there's now talk about whether a law that has not even been enacted might actually be repealed and reporters have been calling asking what the chances of repeal may be. I have a very hard time imagining any scenario for repeal unfolding. Calls for repeal have much to do with…

  • A Challenge for States: Assuring Timely Access to Optimal Long-Term Services and Supports in the Community

    Issue Brief

    The Medicaid program is a major payer for long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States, accounting for 40 percent of total spending for long-term services and supports. The federal government has played an active role in sponsoring initiatives to promote a shift to community-based care; and evidence from several states suggests that providing care in the community can be less expensive than providing institutional care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides incentives for…