As of 2024, there were about 50 million immigrants residing in the U.S., including 24 million noncitizen immigrants and 26 million naturalized citizens, who each accounted for about 7% and 8% of the total population, respectively. Noncitizens include lawfully present and undocumented immigrants. Many individuals live in mixed immigration status families that may include lawfully present immigrants, undocumented immigrants, and/or citizens. One in four (26%) children has an immigrant parent, including over one in ten (12%) who are citizen children with at least one noncitizen parent.
This fact sheet provides an overview of health coverage for immigrants based on data from the KFF/New York Times 2025 Survey of Immigrants and discusses implications of the current policy and immigration enforcement environment for their health and health care. It shows:
- Although the majority of uninsured people are citizens, noncitizen immigrant adults, particularly likely undocumented immigrants, are significantly more likely to report being uninsured than citizens. As of 2025, almost half (46%) of likely undocumented immigrant adults and one in five (21%) lawfully present immigrant adults reported being uninsured compared to less than one in ten naturalized citizen (7%) and U.S.-born citizen (6%) adults. These higher uninsured rates reflect a combination of more limited access to private coverage due to working in jobs less likely to offer health coverage and exclusions and limitations on eligibility for federally funded coverage options, including Medicaid, Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, and Medicare coverage.
- Reflecting their higher uninsured rate, noncitizen immigrants are more likely than citizens to report barriers to accessing health care and skipping or postponing care. Immigrants have lower health care expenditures than their U.S.-born counterparts reflecting lower use of care due to a combination of them being younger and healthier and facing more barriers to accessing care.
- Some states have expanded access to health coverage for immigrants through Medicaid options for lawfully residing immigrant children and pregnant people and fully state-funded programs, but some states have rolled back this coverage since 2025.
- Recent policy changes will further restrict lawfully present immigrants’ access to health coverage, and immigrants across all statuses have become more fearful about accessing health coverage and care due to increased immigration enforcement actions under the Trump Administration.