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 >>

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

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  • How Will the Uninsured in South Dakota Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in South Dakota, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in South Dakota are eligible for Medicaid or financial…

  • How Will the Uninsured in Tennessee Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Tennessee, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Tennessee are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • How Will the Uninsured in Wisconsin Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Fact Sheet

    This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Wisconsin, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Wisconsin are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in…

  • Medicaid Expansion in Red States

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explains that Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's decision on Medicaid expansion via the Affordable Care Act is the latest sign of pragmatism slowly winning over ideology in red states.

  • Majority Favors the Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate, But Opinion Can Shift When Presented With Pros and Cons

    News Release

    Recent news stories on the heath law did not attract most Americans’ attention, and many are unaware of details and implications of the developments Weeks before the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate takes effect in January, a new Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll finds that six in 10 Americans (60%) say they have a favorable view of the provision, which in 2015 requires employers with 100 or more full time workers to offer health coverage…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University School of Public Health: Update on Americans’ Views on the Consumer Protections Debate

    Poll Finding

    Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University School of Public Health: Update on Americans' Views on the Consumer Protections DebateThe Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University School of Public Health Update on American's Views on Consumer Protections in Managed Care is based on findings from the April 1999 Kaiser/Harvard Health News Index. The survey was designed and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University. Nationwide interviews were conducted by telephone with 1,200 adults, 18 years and…

  • Overview of Selected Medicare Provisions: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Medicare Current Law with Selected House and Senate Provisions to the Balanced – Report

    Report

    Understanding the Growth in Medicare's Home Health Expenditures Overview Of Selected Medicare Provisions: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Medicare Current Law with House and Senate Provisions to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 Prepared by: Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. Prepared for: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation July 1997 Preface This report, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, presents a side-by-side comparison of current Medicare law with selected Medicare provisions included in the Balanced Budget Act of…

  • The Difference Different Approaches Make: Comparing Proposals to Expand Health Insurance

    Report

    The Difference Different Approaches Make: Comparing Proposals to Expand Health Insurance This paper estimates and compares the impacts of alternative mechanisms for expanding health insurance coverage. A variety of approaches-expansions of existing public programs, direct subsidies, and tax credits-and target populations-including children, poor adults, parents of Medicaid- or CHIP-covered children, and early retirees-are considered. The impacts of the proposals on coverage, costs and other program outcomes are compared. This paper is part of the Kaiser…

  • Getting Behind the Numbers on Access to Care

    Other Post

    The Debate About The Uninsured: How serious are their problems? Embargoed for release until: 9:30 AM, EDT, Tuesday, October 22, 1996 For further information contact: Matt James or Tina Hoff First National Study Asking People To Describe Health Care Experiences In Own Words: 46 Percent of Uninsured Adults Experienced "Serious" Consequences As a Result of Problems Getting and/or Paying for Health Care Study Published in This Week's JAMA Washington, D.C. -- Whenever health care is…

  • Medicaid Enrollment in 21 States: June 1997 – June 1999

    Report

    This report, Medicaid Enrollment in 21 States: June 1997 -June 1999, prepared by Health Management Associates, includes enrollment data obtained directly from state Medicaid and CHIP programs. Findings show that across the 21 states, which represent 73% of total Medicaid enrollment, enrollment fell from 23.2 million in June 1997 to 22.6 million in June 1998, but turned upward in June 1999 to 22.9 million. State-by-state data is included for: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Ilinois, Indiana,…