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

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  • Prescription Drug Discount Card Programs: Implications for Medicare Beneficiaries

    Report

    This testimony was delivered by Tricia Neuman, a vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Bush Administration's Proposals for Medicare Modernization. The statement, which draws upon a report prepared for the Foundation by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provides an overview of existing prescription drug discount card programs, describes some of the features of the Administration's recently released proposal for a Medicare-endorsed discount card program, and raises some…

  • Protection in Managed Care Plans: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Proposal Federal Legislation

    Report

    Protection in Managed Care Plans: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Proposed Federal Legislation. A side-by-side comparison of the provisions for consumer protection in managed care plans contained in the House and Senate budget reconciliation bills and in eight other consumer protection bills currently under consideration by Congress. These bills, which would increase the regulatory oversight of the managed care industry by the federal government, are compared in 22 different categories of managed care issues. Report Report

  • The Impact of Managed Care Legislation: An Analysis of Five Legislative Proposals from California

    Report

    This study analyzed five 1997 managed care consumer protection proposals currently or recently under consideration by the California state legislature: allowing consumers to sue their HMO (health maintenance organization) or managed care plan; expanding access to prescription drugs not approved by the health plan; expanded coverage of mental health services; direct access to obstetrical andgynecological services; and lengthened minimum hospital stays for mastectomy patients. Report: The Impact of Manged Care Legislation: An Analysis of Five…

  • Retiree Health Benefits in 2003: Employer Survey

    Report

    This survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Hewitt Associates between June and September 2003 provides detailed information on retiree health programs offered by large private-sector employers. The data in this survey reflect the responses of 408 large firms (private-sector employers with 1,000 or more workers) and provides information on eligibility, benefits, premiums, and total cost in 2003, and offers insights as to what changes employers say they are likely to make in the…

  • Uninsured in America – Testimony

    Event Date:
    Event

    Diane Rowland, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, testified on March 9, 2004 at a U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing on issues concerning Americans who lack access to affordable health insurance. Testimony (.pdf)   Please note: the video is no longer available.  If you have an urgent need for the video, you may contact us (choose “problem with video” on the form)…

  • 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…

  • Hearing Their Voices: Lessons from the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act (BCCPTA)

    Report

        In 2000, Congress passed a landmark law that gave states the option of extending Medicaid coverage to certain low-income women with breast or cervical cancer. In California, approximately 10,000 women have been assisted by this program. This policy brief, "Hearing Their Voices: Lessons from the Breast and Cervical Caner Prevention and Treatment Act (BCCPTA)," reports on the impact of this program on low-income women in California, using focus group analysis. The report was…

  • Navigating Medicare and Medicaid, 2005: A Resource Guide for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates

    Report

    This guide explains the critical role Medicare and Medicaid have come to play in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities - and gives people with disabilities new information to help them get the most from these programs. Full PDF Report (.pdf) Section 1: Introduction HTML PDF Section 2: Medicare HTML PDF Section 3: Medicaid HTML PDF Section 4: Interaction Between Medicare and Medicaid HTML PDF

  • The Uninsured And The Difference Health Insurance Makes

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet describes the characteristics of the uninsured and explains the recent increase in this population. It also examines the difference that health insurance can make and how health reform is expected to cover millions more people.

  • Pulling It Together: Perspectives on State Health Reform

    Perspective

    This Pulling It Together column is the fourth in my new series. All four so far have dealt with different dimensions of health reform. This time I write about one of my favorite topics, the states. As a former head of an umbrella health and social services agency in a big state responsible for about a third of a state budget and workforce, I have a deep appreciation for state government. It's a level of…