The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the percentage of Americans without health insurance stayed around 8% in 2025. This rate has been stable compared to several years ago. However, potential changes in the health landscape introduced by the Trump administration might increase uninsured numbers.
Significant alterations to Medicaid laws, passed last year, could lead to an additional 10 million uninsured individuals over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office provided this estimate. Additionally, the conclusion of specific Affordable Care Act subsidies in 2025, which helped reduce premium costs, may lead to decreased participation in health plans. The healthcare research group KFF predicts a reduction of about 5 million enrollees in these plans by 2026 compared to 2025.
Different government programs track insurance statuses, delivering varied figures based on timing and survey methods. Many researchers, including David Howard from Emory University, regard the U.S. Census Bureau as the “official scorekeeper.” Nevertheless, the CDC’s findings align closely with these records and present comprehensive data for 2025, covering President Donald Trump’s second term.
The Trump administration aimed to broaden access to low-premium catastrophic health plans and reduce drug prices for uninsured Americans. It argued that predicted enrollment declines might indicate a removal of fraudulent enrollees. Although the insurance rate remained similar between 2024 and 2025, the number of uninsured people grew by about 800,000, including 300,000 children, partly due to population growth.
The survey results hint at a higher insured rate among Hispanic Americans. This perceived increase might connect to immigration policies that led some uninsured individuals to leave the country, Howard noted.
Most Americans over 65 have coverage through Medicare. Younger Americans rely on various public and private insurance programs. Historically, the uninsured rate for those under 65 rose from 12% in the 1980s to over 18% by 2010. This rate declined after the Affordable Care Act’s 2010 enactment, which expanded Medicaid and enhanced access to insurance. By 2016, it fell to nearly 10% but increased to 11-12% during Trump’s first term, according to CDC data.
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reduced the uninsured rate, thanks to government measures to maintain coverage. This rate reached a historic low in 2023, dropping below 9%.
Note: The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP maintains sole responsibility for the content.
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