Low-Income Adults Under Age 65 – Many are Poor, Sick, and Uninsured

This policy brief from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured examines the characteristics and insurance coverage of low-income adults under age 65, a group numbering more than 50 million people.

Members of this group are more likely to be in poor health than other Americans and are the least likely to have health insurance. Nearly a third are from families earning less than twice the poverty level. Fifteen percent live in poverty.

Although Medicaid covers most low-income children, it has limited coverage for their parents and generally does not cover childless adults, leaving uninsured a large share of low-income adults with significant health needs.

Overview (.pdf)

Policy Brief (.pdf)