In 2024, the uninsured rate grew for the first time since 2019, according to an April 9 KFF issue brief.
KFF reviewed data on uninsured trends and demographics in recent years, focusing on individuals under 65 years old. Following a pandemic-era rollback of redeterminations, people eventually began facing eligibility checks after Medicaid’s continuous enrollment provision ended in 2023. The following year, many states finished this unwinding, resulting in coverage losses. Medicaid and ACA changes, along with enhanced subsidy expiration, could keep up this trend in future years.
Here are 11 notes about the uninsured in 2024:
1. The number of people lacking health insurance and the uninsured rate increased in 2024 for the first time since 2019, reaching 26.7 million people and a rate of 9.8%.
2. The Congressional Budget Office estimates over 14 million more people will be uninsured by 2034.
3. In terms of the uninsured’s economic status, 85.1% reside with working families, 73.8% have at least one full-time worker in their household and 80.1% are low income.
4. The uninsured disproportionately live in the 10 non-expansion states. Forty-two percent of uninsured individuals live in these states, resulting in an uninsured rate of 14.5% in non-expansion states versus 8% in expansion states.
5. The majority (63.7%) of uninsured individuals are people of color, and 41.9% of the uninsured population is Hispanic.
6. Texas had the highest uninsured rate at 19.2%, and Massachusetts had the lowest at 3.3%.
7. One in 4 uninsured people were not U.S. citizens.
8. Over 40% of uninsured adults did not have a consistent venue to seek medical advice or receive care while sick.
9. Nearly 60% of the uninsured said either they or someone they live with struggled to pay for healthcare.
10. Over half of those who are uninsured could be eligible for Medicaid or subsidized marketplace coverage but did not have it.
11. Nearly 40% of adults without health insurance in the three years leading up to 2024 said it was due to a job loss or new employer. About one-quarter said they were no longer able to access Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program or another form of public coverage. Cost increases, missed deadlines and age were other explanations.
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