Who comprises the uninsured population in the United States?

Asked by: Jessyca Wolff Jr.  |  Last update: October 2, 2023
Score: 4.2/5 (62 votes)

Results—In 2020, 31.6 million (9.7%) people of all ages were uninsured at the time of the interview. This includes 31.2 million (11.5%) people under age 65. Among children, 3.7 million (5.0%) were uninsured, and among working-age adults (aged 18–64), 27.5 million (13.9%) were uninsured.

Who are most of the uninsured populations in the United States?

Most uninsured people are in low-income families and have at least one worker in the family. Reflecting the more limited availability of public coverage in some states, adults are more likely to be uninsured than children.

Which group has the highest rates of uninsured population?

Despite these coverage gains, disparities in coverage persisted as of 2021. Nonelderly American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Hispanic people had the highest uninsured rates at 21.2% and 19.0%, respectively as of 2021.

What is the uninsured population in America?

In 2021, as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continued, 27 million people — or 8.3 percent of the population — were uninsured, according to a report from the Census Bureau.

Who are the uninsured and who are the underinsured in the United States?

Forty-three percent of working-age adults were inadequately insured in 2022. These individuals were uninsured (9%), had a gap in coverage over the past year (11%), or were insured all year but were underinsured, meaning that their coverage didn't provide them with affordable access to health care (23%).

Uninsured Americans Face Confusing Bills, Inconsistent Charges

37 related questions found

How do you define underinsurance?

Underinsurance basically refers to a person having insurance coverage but with a policy that won't pay out enough to cover the full expenses incurred when filing a claim.

What is uninsured vs underinsured?

Uninsured motorist insurance protects you if you're in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn't carry liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage steps in when you're in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover the medical expenses of any injured people.

What race is more likely to be uninsured?

Data from the Census Bureau shows that racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage persist even among the most educated. People who identify as American Indian and Alaska Native, non-Hispanic or Hispanic, had the highest uninsured rates at all education levels.

How many americans don t have health insurance 2023?

Plus Over 11 Health Insurance Statistics For Jul 2023! Approximately 30 million people in the United States are uninsured and at risk of financial ruin if they become ill or injured. Even worse, there are approximately 9 million children in the country who lack proper healthcare coverage.

Which state has the highest uninsured rate in the United States?

Texas has the unfortunate distinction of having the nation's highest uninsured rate — about 18% in 2021, compared to the national average of 8.6% — and its largest uninsured population of roughly 5 million people.

Which age group is most uninsured?

In 2019, adults aged 18–44 were the most likely to be uninsured (17.0%), compared with adults aged 45–64 (11.1%) and children under age 18 years (5.1%). Among adults aged 19–25, 17.5% were uninsured in 2019.

Which age group is most likely to be uninsured?

Young Adults (Ages 18 Through 24 Years)

Almost three out of every ten young adults do not have health insurance. Members of this age group are nearly twice as likely to be uninsured compared to members of the general population under age 65.

How many people are uninsured in the US CDC?

8.4% or 27.6 million Americans of all ages did not have health insurance in 2022 compared to 10.3% or 33.2 million in 2019. In the same time period, 4.2% or 3 million children did not have health insurance compared with 5.1% or 3.7 million in 2019.

What percentage of people get health insurance through their employer?

In 2021, the number of people covered by health insurance from their employer sits at around 156 million, or 49% of the country's population. The average annual premium for employer-sponsored health insurance is around $7,739 for an individual and $22,221 for a family.

Where do most people get health insurance?

Private health insurance is the predominant source of health insurance coverage in the United States.

Can you live without health insurance in the US?

If you don't have health insurance, you're at much greater risk of accumulating medical bills that you may not be able to pay. In a worst-case scenario, you could be sued and have your wages garnished. You might even be forced into bankruptcy.

How many Millennials don't have health insurance?

Health insurance status among millennials in the U.S. 2013-2018. This statistic shows the health insurance status of millennials in the United States from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, 66 percent of millennials had private health insurance, while 16 percent were uninsured.

Is it possible not to have health insurance in the US?

There currently is no federal law that makes health insurance a legal requirement. However, a few states across the U.S. make it mandatory to have healthcare coverage. If you live in a state where having health insurance is the law, you will have to pay a tax penalty for not complying.

What state has the lowest number of of uninsured people?

Texas was the state with the highest percentage of uninsured among its population, while Massachusetts reported the lowest share of uninsured This statistic presents the percentage of the total population in the United States without health insurance in 2021, by state.

What race has the most life insurance?

There is no official link between the two observances. But the importance of life insurance has long been recognized by Black Americans. Black families have the highest rate of life insurance ownership among all racial groups at 56 percent, compared to 52 percent for the total U.S. adult population.

Why are Latinos the most uninsured?

Coverage patterns for Latinos reflect more limited access to employer-sponsored coverage among Latino adults, due to higher rates of employment in low-wage jobs that are less likely to offer health coverage, as well as more limited access to and barriers to enrolling in public coverage options.

Is it better to be over insured or underinsured?

Underinsuring your home means you'll be left to cover the cost to rebuild your home and replace your belongings out of your own pocket to make up for your low claim settlement check. And overinsuring your home means you're throwing away money since your coverage limits are too high to ever fully take advantage of them.

What does functionally uninsured mean?

You may consider yourself underinsured or “functionally uninsured” if you've got major medical insurance but still find it difficult to pay for healthcare due to a high deductible threshold.

What does it mean to be uninsured?

It means that you have to pay for your services and that you do not have coverage for the hospital services by a third party like Medicare, Medicaid, Workers Compensation or an insurance company. Other common terms used when referring to Uninsured patients are: Self Pay and Private Pay.