New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that fewer Americans started 2024 with health insurance than in 2023.
According to the data, 8.2% of all Americans did not have health insurance in the first three months of 2024, which was up from 7.7% in the last three months of 2023.
The report shows that 15.7% of those making at or below the federal poverty level had insurance to start 2024, compared to 13.9% at the end of 2023. On the other end of the spectrum, just 3% of those making at or above 400% of the poverty level were uninsured to start the year, which was down from 3.5% to close 2023.
The federal poverty level in 2024 for a family of four is considered $31,200.
There was also a pronounced increase in uninsured children. According to the CDC, 5.2% of children up to age 17 were uninsured, which was up from 4.3% to close 2023.
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The CDC's data showed that poorer Americans were far more likely to rely on public health care. Public insurance was used by 67% of those earning below the poverty line, while just 21% of those below the poverty line had private insurance. For those making at least 400% of the federal poverty level, just 6.6% had public insurance plans, while 86.2% had private health insurance.
One potential reason is simply that health care is getting more expensive. KFF reported on Monday that Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 7% for 2025. That rate is similar to the 6% increase in 2024, KFF said.
KFF cited the growing use of weight loss drugs as one reason for the increase cost.
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