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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  • Health Insurance Coverage in America: 2001 Data Update

    Report

    Health Insurance Coverage in America: 2001 Data Update This chartbook provides year 2001 data on health insurance coverage, with special attention to the uninsured. It includes trends and major shifts in coverage and a profile of the uninsured population. Chartbook A link to additional state-specific data on the uninsured at State Health Facts. Link to other Health Insurance Coverage in America chartbooks.

  • Lack of Coverage: A Long-Term Problem for Most Uninsured

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet, recently updated with 2002 data, describes how long the uninsured remain without coverage, who tends to go without insurance for long spells of time, and what difference time without coverage makes in terms of access to and utilization of care. Fact Sheet (.pdf) Link to Policy Brief: Is Lack of Coverage a Short- or Long-Term Condition?

  • 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…

  • Health Insurance Coverage of Low-Wage Workers

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet summarizes the reasons why low-wage workers are less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance than workers with higher incomes and therefore, are more likely to be uninsured. Fact Sheet

  • The Uninsured & Access to Health Care

    Fact Sheet

    The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care Drawing on data from the updated Uninsured in America: A Chart Book (May 2000), this fact sheet outlines the problem of the uninsured in America, providing data on the growing number of uninsured Americans and a profile of the uninsured population. It also explores causes of uninsurance and synthesizes studies on the effects of going without health coverage. Fact Sheet

  • Restructuring Medicaid Financing: Implications of the NGA Proposal

    Report

    An analysis of the National Governors Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core of the proposal. The report considers possible responses to the reforms and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program.

  • Managed Care And Low-Income Populations: A Case Study of Managed Care in Oregon

    Report

    To gather early insights and timely information for state and federal policymakers concerning how the movement to managed care is affecting the poor and their access to care, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund are jointly sponsoring case studies and population surveys in California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee. This case study describes the first year's experience of Oregon's Initiative, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). It is designed to furnish…