# US uninsured rate by president, 2008–2024

Source page: https://govargus.com/indicators/uninsured

Share of the civilian population with no health insurance at the time of the survey (ACS). Starts in 2008; there is no 2020 value because the pandemic disrupted that year's survey. The ACA's main coverage provisions began in 2014.

Latest: 8.2% (2024).
Source: Census Bureau (American Community Survey), via ACS health insurance tables (https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/health-insurance/acs-hi.html). Annual data, fetched Oct 19, 2026.

Since 2008, the uninsured rate ranged from 7.9% in 2023 under Joe Biden to 15.5% in 2010 under Barack Obama. Of the 3 completed terms with data, the uninsured rate rose fastest under Donald Trump (1st term), at +0.20 pts/yr against −1.55 pts/yr in the four years before, and fell fastest under Barack Obama, at −0.75 pts/yr.

## By presidential term

Each row is the value at the last full period before inauguration and at the end of the term, with the yearly rate of change, next to the rate of change over the four years before the term (the trend it inherited). A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Federal Reserve and the world economy move these numbers too. Govargus describes; it does not score presidents.

| President | Term | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Donald Trump (2nd term) | 2025–present | no data | no data |
| Joe Biden | 2021–2025 | 9.2% → 8.2% (−0.20 pts/yr) | +0.20 pts/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) | 2017–2021 | 8.6% → 9.2% (+0.20 pts/yr) | −1.55 pts/yr |
| Barack Obama | 2009–2017 | 14.6% → 8.6% (−0.75 pts/yr) | — |
| George W. Bush | 2001–2009 | no data | no data |
| Bill Clinton | 1993–2001 | no data | no data |
| George H. W. Bush | 1989–1993 | no data | no data |
| Ronald Reagan | 1981–1989 | no data | no data |
| Jimmy Carter | 1977–1981 | no data | no data |

## Events that bear on this indicator

- Mar 23, 2010, law: Affordable Care Act signed. Medicaid expansion, subsidized insurance marketplaces and an individual mandate; main coverage provisions start in 2014.
- Jan 1, 2014, law: ACA coverage expansion begins. Insurance marketplaces, subsidies and (in participating states) expanded Medicaid take effect.
- Dec 22, 2017, law: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Corporate rate cut from 35% to 21%, temporary individual rate cuts, and the ACA's individual-mandate penalty set to zero from 2019.
- Mar 11, 2021, law: American Rescue Plan. About $1.9 trillion in relief, including a temporarily expanded child tax credit and larger ACA premium subsidies.
- Jul 4, 2025, law: One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Makes the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent, adds new deductions and cuts Medicaid and SNAP spending.