Health insurance in the United States - Statistics & Facts

Health insurance remains a relevant and politicized topic in the United States. The number of people with health insurance in the U.S. was over 300 million in 2021, about 92 percent of the population. The health system in the country is a mix of both public and private insurers, but private is the main form of health insurance coverage among the U.S. population. In 2021, around half of the people with health insurance received private insurance through their employer, while over 34 percent were covered under the public insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid. Because the U.S. does not have universal health insurance coverage, millions of people remain uninsured every year. Public opinion on a Medicare-for-all health plan remains divided, but there is marginally more support for a single-payer system.

Private health insurance in the United States

The percentage of the U.S. population covered by private health insurance has more or less remained steady since 2015. Under employer-sponsored private coverage, both the employer and the employee usually contribute to premiums or the amount to be paid each month. In 2022, the average annual deductible for employer-sponsored health insurance was 1,763 U.S. dollars. A deductible is the amount an individual pays for health care services before the insurance company starts to pay. Employers usually purchase health plans for employees from private health insurance companies. The largest health insurance companies in the United States by revenue are UnitedHealthcare Group, Anthem, and Aetna.

The role of Medicare and Medicaid

The main public health insurance programs in the United States are Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare provides health insurance for the elderly and those with disabilities, while Medicaid focuses on providing coverage for low-income families. In 2021, around 37 percent of the U.S. population received health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid. As enrollment in both public health programs has grown, so has spending, with total Medicaid expenditure exceeding 728 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. Total Medicare spending has seen a drastic increase in the past decade, reaching 905 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other public insurance plans, are funded through federal taxes. Other public health insurance plans include the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), which provides health coverage to children through Medicaid as well as separate programs, and military insurance programs such as the Veterans Health Administration.

How many Americans do not have health insurance?

The percentage of people without health insurance in the U.S. was 9.2 percent in 2021, which translates to around 30 million people. The share of Americans without health insurance dropped following the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. In recent years, however, the uninsured rate has risen again after the repeal of the individual mandate that required most citizens to have health insurance. The states with the highest share of people without health insurance are Texas, Alaska, and Oklahoma. In Texas, 16.7 percent of the population did not have health insurance in 2021, which was twice the national average.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Percentage of people with any health insurance in the U.S.: 92.1%

Percentage of U.S. population with health insurance through their employer: 50.3%

Percentage of people with public health insurance in the U.S.: 39.5%

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of people with health insurance in the United States from 1990 to 2022 (in millions)

Health System

U.S. Americans with health insurance 1990-2022

Largest healthcare companies in the U.S. in 2024, by revenue (in billion U.S. dollars)

Health System

Largest healthcare companies in U.S. 2024, by revenue

Health insurance status distribution of the total U.S. population in 2021

Health System

Health insurance status of the U.S. population 2021

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic Percentage of U.S. Americans with any health insurance 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. Americans with any health insurance 1990-2022
Percentage of people with any health insurance in the United States from 1990 to 2022
Premium Statistic U.S. Americans with health insurance 1990-2022
U.S. Americans with health insurance 1990-2022
Number of people with health insurance in the United States from 1990 to 2022 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Health insurance status of the U.S. population 2021
Health insurance status of the U.S. population 2021
Health insurance status distribution of the total U.S. population in 2021
Premium Statistic U.S. Americans with public health insurance 1997-2022
U.S. Americans with public health insurance 1997-2022
Share of people with public health insurance in the United States from 1997 to 2022
Premium Statistic U.S. household expenditure on health insurance 2007-2022
U.S. household expenditure on health insurance 2007-2022
Average annual expenditure on health insurance per consumer unit in the United States from 2007 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic U.S. health spending per enrollee by insurance 2020 and 2021
U.S. health spending per enrollee by insurance 2020 and 2021
Health spending per enrollee in the United States in 2020 and 2021, by insurance
Basic Statistic Spending distribution of Medicare and Medicaid 2021
Spending distribution of Medicare and Medicaid 2021
Distribution of Medicare and Medicaid spending in 2021*
Premium Statistic Views on government responsibility for provision of healthcare in the U.S. 2000-2023
Views on government responsibility for provision of healthcare in the U.S. 2000-2023
Do you think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage, or is that not the responsibility of the federal government?

Private health insurance

Premium Statistic Number of U.S. Americans with private health insurance in 2022, by type
Number of U.S. Americans with private health insurance in 2022, by type
Number of people with private health insurance in the United States in 2022, by type (in millions)
Basic Statistic Percentage of U.S. population with private health insurance coverage 1984-2019
Percentage of U.S. population with private health insurance coverage 1984-2019
Percentage of U.S. population with private health insurance coverage from 1984 to 2019*
Premium Statistic Number of persons in the U.S. with private health insurance coverage 1984-2019
Number of persons in the U.S. with private health insurance coverage 1984-2019
Number of persons in the U.S. with private health insurance coverage from 1984 to 2019 (in millions)
Basic Statistic U.S. workers covered by self-funded health insurance plans 1999-2023
U.S. workers covered by self-funded health insurance plans 1999-2023
Percentage of U.S. workers covered by self-funded health insurance plans from 1999 to 2023
Basic Statistic Health costs distribution of private insurance and out-of-pocket payments U.S. 2021
Health costs distribution of private insurance and out-of-pocket payments U.S. 2021
Health spending distribution of private insurance and out-of-pocket payments in the United States in 2021
Premium Statistic Average annual cost of health insurance deductibles in the U.S. 2010-2023
Average annual cost of health insurance deductibles in the U.S. 2010-2023
Average annual deductibles for employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States from 2010 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in 2022, by state
Annual premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in 2022, by state
Average annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance plans in the 2022, by U.S. state
Basic Statistic Employee contribution to employer-sponsored health insurance by US state 2022
Employee contribution to employer-sponsored health insurance by US state 2022
Annual average employee contribution to employer-sponsored family health insurance premiums by U.S. state in 2022 (in U.S. dollars)

Medicare

Basic Statistic Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicare 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicare 1990-2022
Percentage of people covered by Medicare in the United States from 1990 to 2022
Premium Statistic Medicare enrollment from 1966-2022, by type of beneficiary
Medicare enrollment from 1966-2022, by type of beneficiary
Enrollment in the Medicare program from 1966 to 2022, by type of beneficiary (in millions)
Basic Statistic Total Medicare spending 1970-2022
Total Medicare spending 1970-2022
Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)*
Basic Statistic Total Medicare income 1970-2022
Total Medicare income 1970-2022
Total Medicare income from 1970 to 2022* (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Medicare actual costs 2017-2021 by setting
Medicare actual costs 2017-2021 by setting
Medicare actual costs by setting from 2017 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Characteristics of the Medicare population 2020
Characteristics of the Medicare population 2020
Characteristics of the Medicare population in 2020

Medicaid

Premium Statistic Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicaid 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicaid 1990-2022
Percentage of people covered by Medicaid in the United States from 1990 to 2022
Premium Statistic Total Medicaid enrollment 1966-2022
Total Medicaid enrollment 1966-2022
Total Medicaid enrollment from 1966 to 2022 (in millions)
Premium Statistic CHIP enrollment number 1999-2022
CHIP enrollment number 1999-2022
Number of CHIP enrollees from 1999 to 2022
Premium Statistic Medicaid enrollment and expenditure by enrollment group 2021
Medicaid enrollment and expenditure by enrollment group 2021
Distribution of Medicaid enrollment and expenditure in FY 2021, by enrollment group
Basic Statistic Total Medicaid expenditure 1975-2022
Total Medicaid expenditure 1975-2022
Total Medicaid expenditure from 1975 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Total Medicaid federal and state expenditures in the U.S. 1966-2019
Total Medicaid federal and state expenditures in the U.S. 1966-2019
Total Medicaid federal and state expenditures in the United States from 1966 to 2019 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Veterans

Basic Statistic Percentage of U.S. Americans insured by military health care 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. Americans insured by military health care 1990-2022
Percentage of people insured by military health care in the United States from 1990 to 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. adults insured by military health care 1990-2022
U.S. adults insured by military health care 1990-2022
Number of people insured by military health care in the United States from 1990 to 2022 (in millions)*
Basic Statistic Share of U.S. WWP veterans with health care coverage as of 2022, by type of coverage
Share of U.S. WWP veterans with health care coverage as of 2022, by type of coverage
Percentage of U.S. veteran and active service members of the Wounded Warrior Project with select types of health care coverage as of 2022*
Premium Statistic Reasons U.S. veterans with the WWP use VA as their primary care provider 2018-2020
Reasons U.S. veterans with the WWP use VA as their primary care provider 2018-2020
Share of U.S. veteran and active service members of the Wounded Warrior Project who used the VA as their primary health care provider for select reasons, 2018 to 2020
Premium Statistic Reasons U.S. veterans with the WWP don't use the VA health services 2021
Reasons U.S. veterans with the WWP don't use the VA health services 2021
Percentage of U.S. veteran and active service members of the Wounded Warrior Project who have never used VA health care services for select reasons in 2021*
Basic Statistic Quality ratings of health care provided by the VA in the U.S. as of 2022
Quality ratings of health care provided by the VA in the U.S. as of 2022
Percentage of U.S. veterans and military households who rated the quality of health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs as excellent as of 2022
Basic Statistic Views on VA health care compared to general health care in the U.S. as of 2022
Views on VA health care compared to general health care in the U.S. as of 2022
Percentage of U.S. veterans and military households who felt health care from the VA was better than what most Americans receive as of 2022

Uninsured

Premium Statistic Percentage of people in the U.S. without health insurance 1997-2022
Percentage of people in the U.S. without health insurance 1997-2022
Percentage of people without health insurance in the United States from 1997 to 2022
Basic Statistic Number of people in the U.S. without health insurance 1997-2022
Number of people in the U.S. without health insurance 1997-2022
Number of people without health insurance in the United States from 1997 to 2022 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Share of people in the U.S. without health insurance by age 1997-2022
Share of people in the U.S. without health insurance by age 1997-2022
Share of people without health insurance in the United States from 1997 to 2022, by age
Premium Statistic Percentage of people in the U.S. without health insurance by ethnicity 2010-2022
Percentage of people in the U.S. without health insurance by ethnicity 2010-2022
Percentage of people without health insurance in the United States from 2010 to 2022, by ethnicity
Premium Statistic Share of total U.S. population without health insurance in 2021, by state
Share of total U.S. population without health insurance in 2021, by state
Percentage of the total U.S. population without health insurance in 2021, by state
Premium Statistic Percentage and rate of uninsured U.S. adult workers 2022, by industry
Percentage and rate of uninsured U.S. adult workers 2022, by industry
Percentage and rate of adult workers without health insurance in the U.S. in 2022, by industry*

Leading companies

Premium Statistic Largest healthcare companies in U.S. 2024, by revenue
Largest healthcare companies in U.S. 2024, by revenue
Largest healthcare companies in the U.S. in 2024, by revenue (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Leading health insurance companies in the U.S. 2021, by direct premiums written
Leading health insurance companies in the U.S. 2021, by direct premiums written
Leading health insurance companies in the United States in 2021, by direct premiums written (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Market share of leading U.S. health insurance companies 2021, by direct premiums
Market share of leading U.S. health insurance companies 2021, by direct premiums
Market share of leading health insurance companies in the United States in 2021, by direct premiums written
Premium Statistic Leading Medicare Advantage organizations by enrollment 2023
Leading Medicare Advantage organizations by enrollment 2023
Leading Medicare Advantage organizations based on enrollment in 2023
Premium Statistic Operating margins of top U.S. health insurers 2015-2019
Operating margins of top U.S. health insurers 2015-2019
Operating margins of leading health insurance companies in the U.S. from 2015 to 2019

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