Charted: Uninsured population grows

By Maya Goldman / August 6, 2024

Estimated share of U.S. population without health insurance

1.6 million more people lost health coverage in the first quarter of this year as states continued to cut their Medicaid rolls and unemployment ticked up, according to preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Why it matters: After the uninsured rate hit a record low of 7.2% last year, coverage gains stemming from pandemic-era policies are starting to slip — and could fall further if health costs continue to rise and enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies aren't renewed next year.

By the numbers: The share of uninsured people in the United States increased to 8.2% during the first quarter of this year, per CDC's National Health Interview Survey.

• 27.1 million people in the U.S. lacked health insurance in Q1 of this year.

Zoom in: The percentage of uninsured people making less than the federal poverty level grew to 15.7% in the first quarter of the year, accounting for the biggest jump among income levels.

• Enrollment in all public health programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, fell from 39.9% in Q4 of last year to 39.2% in early 2024.

• The proportion of covered people with private health insurance stayed the same at 60.8%, though the size of the cohort with private plans sold on ACA exchanges increased slightly.

Reality check: The most recent uninsured figure is still lower than the 10.3% of the U.S. population without health insurance in 2019, when the CDC started using new survey methodology.