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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  • Threadbare:  Holes in America’s Health Care Safety Net

    Report

    Threadbare: Holes in America’s Health Care Safety Net This report describes the impact of coverage gaps in our safety net through the perspectives of those who provide care to the uninsured and first-hand accounts of the uninsured who are seeking care. Report (.pdf)

  • Medical Debt and Access to Health Care

    Report

    This study examines the privately insured who have had problems paying medical bills and compares their access to care to those who have not had medical bill problems as well as those with no health coverage at all, using a national representative survey of adults. The study finds that care-seeking patterns among those with private coverage but having problems paying their medical bills resembled those of the uninsured. Executive Summary (.pdf) Report (.pdf)

  • Survey of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

    Report

    To give voice to people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods, The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a unique survey of evacuees in shelters in the Houston area. The provides information on evacuees' lives before the hurricane and inside Houston area shelters, as well as their plans for the future. The survey also includes a number of health-related questions, including…

  • Additional Resources on Hurricane Katrina Relief

    Other Post

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)http://www.hhs.gov/katrina/index.html HHS Resources Targeting Minority Communitieshttp://www.os.dhhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050930a.html Congressional Hearings and Resources: Hearing: Hurricane Katrina: Community Rebuilding Needs and Effectiveness of Past Proposalshttp://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing092805.htm Hearing: Assessing Public Health and the Delivery of Care in the Wake of Katrinahttp://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/09222005hearing1643/hearing.htm Senate Committee Reports and Other Information About Hurricane Katrinahttp://help.senate.gov/katrina.htm Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)http://www.cms.hhs.gov/katrina/ Social Security Administration (SSA)http://www.ssa.gov/emergency/ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)http://www.fema.gov/ Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/disaster.htm U.S. Department of…

  • Addressing the Health Care Impact of Hurricane Katrina

    Issue Brief

    This issue paper is an effort to begin an assessment of health care needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and to review some of the policy options available to the federal government to ensure access to health care for those affected by Katrina. The brief begins with a summary of the implications for the health of the population and its access to needed care. It then outlines the implications for affected states – those…

  • Health Care Costs Survey – Summary and Chartpack

    Poll Finding

    The summary and chartpack highlight key findings from the joint USA Today/Kaiser/Harvard School of Public Health survey exploring Americans’ views on health care costs. Survey Summary and Chartpack (.pdf)

  • Health Care Costs Survey – Toplines

    Poll Finding

    This document includes the toplines from the joint USA Today/Kaiser/Harvard School of Public Health survey exploring Americans’ views on health care costs. Survey Toplines (.pdf)

  • Health Care Costs Survey

    Poll Finding

    This comprehensive survey from USA Today, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health examines how Americans are being affected by health care costs. The survey includes information on the barriers health care costs pose to obtaining medical care and the alternative measures people take to lower their medical and prescription drug bills. The is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,531 adults ages 18 years and older, conducted between April…