Uninsured rates in United States rise for first time since 2019

In 2024, the number of uninsured people in the United States rose for the first time since 2019, according to a recently published KFF issue brief titled, Key Facts About the Uninsured Population.

This shift was due to a number of factors, including a mix of policy changes, affordability issues and coverage disruptions, authors including Jennifer Tolbert, the deputy director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the director of State Health Policy and Data at KFF, explain in the brief.

A key driver the rate drop was the end of pandemic-era protections that had temporarily kept people continuously enrolled in Medicaid. When states resumed eligibility reviews beginning in 2023 — a process known as “Medicaid unwinding”— millions of people were disenrolled after being found no longer eligible, contributing to widespread coverage losses. Although some individuals were able to transition to employer-sponsored insurance or subsidized plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, many could not find affordable alternatives, particularly in states that did not expand Medicaid. Even with enhanced Marketplace subsidies in place during 2024, coverage remained out of reach for some households due to cost and system complexity.

Looking ahead, the uninsured population is expected to grow further due to potential policy shifts, including the expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies and changes to Medicaid and Marketplace eligibility under recent legislation and administrative actions affecting enrollment.

The following slideshow contains the highlights of the issue brief.