Eight percent of Americans were uninsured in 2024, on par with the rate found for 2023, according to new federal data.
The U.S. Census Bureau released this week its annual look (PDF) at insurance coverage across the country, finding that 92%, or 310 million people, were enrolled in coverage last year. The bulk, or 66.1%, were enrolled in a private health plan, while 35.5% had public coverage.
Employer-sponsored plans accounted for 53.8% of coverage, while Medicare was the next highest at 19.1%. Medicaid plans covered 17.8% of people, while direct-purchase insurance included 10.7%.
The report found a slight decline in Medicaid enrollment year over year and an uptick of individuals with direct-purchase coverage, consistent with the end of the redetermination process. In 2023, Medicaid covered 18.9% of people while direct-purchase plans covered 10.2%.
The Census Bureau found that people over the age of 65 have "near universal coverage" thanks to Medicare, while trends in other demographics vary. About 6% of children under the age of 19 were uninsured in 2024, and 11% of working adults between the ages of 19 and 64 were uninsured.
"Working-age adults aged 19 to 64 may have different health insurance outcomes from other age groups because they do not qualify for certain programs intended for children, such as CHIP," per the report. "Some other programs, such as Medicare, are widely available to adults aged 65 and older, but working-age adults only qualify under limited circumstances."
The report noted that the uninsured rates for both children and working adults were lower in states that had expanded the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Enrollment on the ACA's exchanges has grown significantly over the past several years as enhanced premium subsidies made plans affordable to a broader swath of people. Those tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year, and experts have warned that it will likely lead to a significant increase in the number of people who are uninsured.
Researchers at KFF said in an analysis of the Census Bureau data that changes codified in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are set to broadly increase the uninsured rate over the next decade.
The law will establish national work requirements in the Medicaid program and restrict immigrants' eligibility for federal programs. It also makes makes eligibility for marketplace subsidies more stringent.
An estimate from the Congressional Budget Office suggests that 10 million people will become uninsured under these policies by 2034.
"This projected increase in the number of people who are uninsured would reverse more than a decade of coverage gains under the ACA," the KFF analysts said.