Public Health Care Coverage
How many Americans have public health care coverage?
Over a third of Americans had some form of public health coverage in 2018. The three main types of public health coverage are: Medicare (available for seniors), Medicaid/Means-Tested (available for people with low incomes), and Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care, available for veterans.
Many people with public coverage also have private coverage. Only about 21% of Americans have coverage solely through a public program. Americans can also have multiple types of public coverage—for example, VA and Medicare together.
Public coverage rate:
Population with only public coverage:
About the Data
Data is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), 1-year estimates, Table S2704.