Reasons for Being Uninsured Among Adults Aged 18–64 in the United States, 2019 (National Center for Health Statistics - CDC)

• In 2019, 14.5% of adults aged 18–64 were uninsured in the United States.
• Hispanic adults (30.4%) were more likely than non-Hispanic white adults (22.3%) to indicate that they were uninsured due to ineligibility.
• Men (26.8%) were more likely than women (14.6%) to indicate that they were uninsured because coverage was not needed or wanted.

Previously published data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) reported that the percentage of uninsured adults aged 18–64 significantly decreased from 20.4% in 2013 to 13.3% in 2018 (1). Lack of health insurance has been associated with not receiving preventive services or screenings and may, in turn, lead to delays in disease diagnosis and poorer health outcomes (2). The 2019 NHIS included six questions for uninsured adults to better understand their reasons for currently being uninsured. This report describes the characteristics of uninsured adults aged 18–64 in 2019 and the percentage who identified with each of the six reasons for being uninsured. For the three most prevalent reasons, the percentage who identified with each reason is presented by selected demographic characteristics, and health status.