Insured: Who Has Coverage?

As of 2022, nearly 304 million people in the United States had some form of health insurance, with around 25 million people uninsured. In 2019, the US population was approximately 330 million, with 59 million people over 65 covered by Medicare. Of the 273 million non-institutionalized persons under 65, 159 million had employer-based insurance, 84 million had non-employer-based insurance, and 30 million were uninsured. The US does not have universal healthcare, and healthcare costs are covered by a mix of private and public insurance programs.

How many people have insurance in the US?

Health insurance coverage in the United States is provided by several public and private sources. In 2019, the total US population was approximately 330 million, with 59 million people aged 65 and over covered by the federal Medicare program. The 273 million non-institutionalized persons under age 65 either obtained their coverage from employer-based sources (159 million), non-employer-based sources (84 million), or had no insurance (30 million). In 2019, 89% of the non-institutionalized population had health insurance coverage.

The number of uninsured people in the US has fluctuated over the years, with 27.3 million uninsured in 2016, 29.6 million in 2019, and 27.2 million in 2021. In 2022, the number of uninsured people dropped to 26 million, or 7.9% of the population, according to the Census Bureau. This was the lowest uninsured rate since 2017. The decrease in the uninsured rate during the pandemic years can be attributed to policies implemented to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, such as increased enrollment in public health insurance programs and changes in the labor force.

The uninsured rate varies across different groups in the US. In 2022, more than one-quarter of Hispanic adults aged 18-64 (27.6%) lacked health insurance, a higher percentage than Black, non-Hispanic adults (13.3%), White, non-Hispanic adults (7.4%), and Asian, non-Hispanic adults (7.1%). Adults aged 18-64 living in non-Medicaid expansion states (19.2%) were twice as likely to be uninsured compared to those in Medicaid expansion states (9.1%).

The primary reason cited by people without health insurance coverage is its high cost. In 2022, 64% of uninsured non-elderly adults stated that they were uninsured because the cost of coverage was too high. Additionally, some people may not have access to coverage through their jobs, and certain groups, such as undocumented immigrants, are ineligible for federally funded coverage.

The lack of health insurance coverage has significant implications for access to healthcare and financial stability. Uninsured individuals are more likely to delay or forgo necessary medical care due to costs. They also face unaffordable medical bills and are more likely to accumulate medical debt, which can lead to financial difficulties and sacrifices.

How many people have private insurance?

In the United States, health insurance coverage is provided by a mix of public and private sources. In 2019, the total US population was around 330 million, with 59 million people aged 65 and over covered by the federal Medicare program. Of the 273 million non-institutionalized persons under 65, 159 million had employer-based coverage, 84 million had other coverage, and 30 million were uninsured. This means that during that year, 89% of the non-institutionalized population had health insurance.

The percentage of people with private insurance varies by age group. Among those under 65, 64.2% had private insurance, while the percentage of adults aged 18-64 with private insurance was 67.8%, and for children under 18, it was 54.3%.

The number of uninsured people in the US has fluctuated over time. In 2012, there were 45.6 million uninsured people, which decreased to 27.3 million by 2016 due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the number of uninsured started to rise again under the Trump administration, reaching 29.6 million in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, coverage expansions put in place by the ACA served as a safety net, and the number of nonelderly uninsured individuals decreased to 25.6 million in 2022.

While the percentage of people with private insurance varies across different age groups, overall, a significant proportion of the US population relies on private insurance for their health coverage.

How many people have public insurance?

In 2022, 27.8% of people under the age of 65 had public insurance in the US. This figure can be broken down further: 43.7% of children under 18 had public insurance, while 22% of adults aged 18-64 did.

The number of people with health insurance in the US has been steadily increasing since 2010, when 16% of people were uninsured. By 2021, this figure had dropped to 8.4%. As of 2022, nearly 304 million people in the US had some form of health insurance, a significant increase from around 257 million in 2010.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been instrumental in reducing the number of uninsured people in the US. From 44.8 million in 2013, the number of uninsured people dropped to 28.6 million in 2015. The ACA's coverage expansions, including Medicaid expansion and subsidized Marketplace coverage, served as a safety net for those who lost their jobs or faced economic hardship during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it's important to note that the US does not have universal health insurance, and healthcare costs are covered through a mix of private and public insurance programs. In 2021, almost 50% of the insured population in the US were insured through their employers, while 18.9% were insured through Medicaid, and 15.4% through Medicare.

How many children are uninsured?

The number of uninsured children in the United States has been fluctuating over the years. In 2020, 4.3 million children under the age of 19, or 5.6% of all children, were without health insurance for the entire calendar year. This was an increase of 1.6% from 2018 to 2020 for children in poverty. However, in 2021, the number of uninsured children decreased to 3.9 million, which was 475,000 fewer children without coverage than in 2020. This decrease was driven by an increase in public coverage, such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The rate of uninsured children varies depending on their family's income and the state they live in. In 2020, the uninsured rate for children in poverty was 9.3%, compared to 7.0% for those with family incomes within 100-399% of the poverty line and 2.2% for those with incomes 400% above the poverty line. Additionally, in 2020, the uninsured rate was lower for children living in states that had expanded Medicaid eligibility (4.0%) compared to those in states that had not (8.5%).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) played a significant role in reducing the number of uninsured people in the United States. From 2013 to 2015, the ACA reduced the number of uninsured people from 44.8 million to 28.6 million. However, since the repeal of the individual mandate, the number of people without health insurance has been on the rise. As of 2022, there were still over 25 million people in the United States without any health insurance, with an uninsured rate of around 8%.

How many adults are uninsured?

The number of uninsured people in the US varies depending on the year in question and the age group being considered. In 2022, 25.6 million non-elderly individuals were uninsured, a decrease of 3.3 million from 2019. The uninsured rate among non-elderly people reached an all-time low in 2022, dropping to 9.6% from 10.2% in 2021 and 10.9% in 2019.

In 2022, the uninsured rate among children was 5.1%, less than half the rate among non-elderly adults, which was 11.3%. This is largely due to the broader availability of Medicaid and CHIP coverage for children than for adults. In 2021, the percentage of adults aged 18-64 who were uninsured at the time of interview was 12.2%.

The rate of uninsured US citizens increased from 25.6 million in 2016 to 27.5 million in 2017. In 2018, a total of 27.5 million Americans had no health insurance, and the number is likely to have increased by the time the 2019 statistics are published. The CBO estimates that the number of uninsured American citizens in 2020 is around 31 million.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made it possible for many otherwise uninsured people to obtain Medicaid and marketplace coverage. However, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for federally funded coverage, including Medicaid or Marketplace coverage.

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