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News
The U.S. uninsurance rate stayed flat at around 8% in 2025, with 26.7 million Americans going without coverage all year, according to the Census Bureau. Both the Census Bureau and the CDC confirm the stability, but major policy shifts — including the expiration of ACA subsidies and Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — are expected to push millions more off coverage in the years ahead.
The U.S. uninsurance rate remained essentially flat in 2025, with the Census Bureau reporting 7.9% of Americans (about 26.7 million people) uninsured for the full year — statistically unchanged from 2024 and 2023. The CDC's parallel survey put the rate slightly higher at 8.3%, or roughly 28 million people, but both agencies agree: coverage held steady heading into a turbulent policy environment.
Employer-sponsored insurance remained the dominant source of coverage (53.5%), followed by Medicare (20.1%) and Medicaid (17.1%). Medicare enrollment grew by 2.2 million year-over-year, while Medicaid shed 1.4 million enrollees. Coverage disparities persisted — Hispanic adults (21.9% uninsured) and foreign-born non-citizen children (18.3%) faced significantly higher rates than other groups.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The 2025 stability is likely the last snapshot before major disruptions hit. The expiration of enhanced ACA Marketplace subsidies and Medicaid work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are already beginning to ripple through the system — hospitals are reporting rising bad debt and charity care, and fewer patients are finding replacement coverage after losing ACA plans.
