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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.

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 >>

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  • The Cost and Coverage Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: National and State-by-State Analysis

    Report

    A central goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing a continuum of affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Exchanges. Following the June 2012 Supreme Court decision, states face a decision about whether to adopt the Medicaid expansion. These decisions will have enormous consequences for health coverage for the low-income population. This analysis uses the Urban Institute’s Health Insurance Policy…

  • Medicare Cost-Sharing: Implications for Beneficiaries

    Event Date:
    Event

    Tricia Neuman, Vice President and Director of the Medicare Policy Project, testified on behalf of herself and Thomas Rice, Ph.D., of UCLA's School of Public Health, before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on cost-sharing requirements under Medicare and supplemental Medigap policies. The statement reviews Medicare beneficiaries' current cost-sharing responsibilities, the evidence on the impact of out-of-pocket costs on health-care utilization, and the implications for proposals that would modify Medicare's cost-sharing structure.

  • 50 Million Uninsured: The Faces Behind the Headlines

    Event Date:
    Event

    Almost 50 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2010 -- about a million more than in 2009. Who are the uninsured? Why do so many Americans lack coverage? What are the trends in coverage among different segments of the population? What do these trends mean for the health care system and the costs of care? This briefing, co-sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured,…

  • Uninsured Workers in America

    Fact Sheet

    The fact sheet describes the characteristics of uninsured workers, the availability of and participation in job-based coverage, and reasons why workers are uninsured. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • Immigrants and Health Coverage:  A Primer

    Issue Brief

    Immigrants and Health Coverage: A Primer A major challenge facing many immigrants is lack of health insurance coverage. This primer provides an introduction to some of the questions surrounding immigrants and health insurance coverage. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • The Changing Medicaid Managed Care Market

    Report

    Trends in Commercial Plans' Participation This background paper analyzes the trends in commercial plan participation in the Medicaid market by using a database specifically designed for this purpose. It examines changes from mid-1996 to mid-1997 in the types of full-risk plans serving Medicaid Beneficiaries. It also looks at trends through mid-1998 for the 15 states with the largest number of Medicaid enrollees. Background Paper: : Trends in Commercial Plans' Particpation

  • Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 – Kaiser Family Foundation Resources

    Fact Sheet

    May 1-7, 2006, is Cover the Uninsured Week, organized by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and several partner organizations. The Kaiser Family Foundation has a wide range of resources on the topics of health coverage and the nation's uninsured population to assist you in your work related to these issues. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launches the Week at a May 2 event in Washington, D.C. Webcast Fact Sheets & Primer The Uninsured and Their…

  • Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care for Low-Income Non-Citizen Children

    Issue Brief

    Largely due to a high uninsured rate, low-income, non-citizen children have very poor access to care, with many lacking a regular provider and going without preventive care. This brief examines health coverage and access to care for low-income, non-citizen children to provide insight into the challenges they face in obtaining health insurance and accessing care. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Key Findings: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 — June 2007

    Poll Finding

    This document presents key findings from the June 2007 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008, which tracks changes in the saliency of health as a political and policy priority, what the public’s priorities are for a health reform plan and whether any candidates are breaking through with the public with their health reform plans   Key Findings (.pdf)

  • New Reports and Briefing Focus on Dental Health Coverage and Access

    Fact Sheet

    More than 100 million Americans have no insurance to help cover dental needs. With health reform discussions ongoing, the Foundation's Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) cosponsored a briefing which examined oral health in the broader conversation of improving quality and expanding access. Three new reports from KCMU were released at the event. Access to Affordable Dental Care: Gaps for Low-Income Adults Filling an Urgent Need: Improving Children’s Access to Dental Care in…