Minnesota's uninsured rate rises sharply according to latest dataState's uninsured rate went from an all-time low to the highest in six years, raising concerns about future coverage lossesNew data released today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows a steep rise in the number of uninsured Minnesotans. According to data from the latest Minnesota Health Access Survey, the state's uninsured rate increased from a historic low of 3.8% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2025. This equates to approximately 116,000 more Minnesotans without health insurance. It is the highest uninsured rate for the state since 2017, reversing years of improvement in this area. "The sharp increase in uninsured Minnesotans over the past two years is deeply disturbing, as are the long-standing disparities in the uninsured rate by race/ethnicity and income that continue to persist," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. "For most people, health care is unaffordable without insurance. This results in delayed or deferred care and worse health outcomes, more medical debt for families, and increased rates of uncompensated care for health systems." According to survey data, the increased rate of uninsured Minnesotans appears to be driven by a decrease in public coverage, which dropped from 44.1% to 39.6%. The uninsurance rate among children also increased, rising from 2.7% in 2023 to 4.6% in 2025. Increases in the rate of uninsurance were observable across the state. Minnesotans living in metropolitan areas saw a significant surge in uninsurance (from 3.4% to 5.7% in 2025), as did Minnesotans living in rural areas (from 4.3% to 6.7% in 2025). Long-standing disparities in the state's uninsurance rate by race/ethnicity and income are again reflected in the data. Hispanic Minnesotans continue to be the most likely to be without insurance coverage. More than 20% of the state's Hispanic population report being uninsured – greater than three times the statewide rate and significantly higher than the 11.4% rate reported just two years ago. Additionally, Black and American Indian Minnesotans continued to report disproportionately high rates of uninsurance. The uninsurance rate among Black Minnesotans jumped nearly four percentage points from 6.3% to 10.1%, while American Indians saw uninsurance rates increase from 5.7% to 10.5%. While lower than the statewide rates, the uninsurance rates for White Minnesotans also saw a statistically significant increase (from 2.5% to 3.8%). According to researchers, people in Minnesota with lower incomes are more than twice as likely to be uninsured, with survey data showing 13% of people with an income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines being uninsured in 2025. "Insurance coverage isn't just important for physical and mental health, it's key to financial health, too," said Lacey Hartman, who leads the survey at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC). "Getting sick or injured when you are uninsured can have terrible consequences for a family's finances." Concerns over losing health insurance coverage continue to weigh heavily on Minnesotans. More than 12% of insured Minnesotans said they are worried about losing coverage, a statistically significant increase from 7.7% in 2023. The share of these Minnesotans expressing anxiety over rising costs and coverage becoming too expensive jumped more than 10 percentage points in the latest data (28.8% in 2025 compared to 17.5% in 2023). "One of the prominent data points from the latest Minnesota Health Access Survey shows that Minnesotans have increasing affordability concerns about health insurance coverage," said Stefan Gildemeister, state health economist and director of MDH's Health Economics Program. "This is a kitchen-table issue for state residents already struggling with daily expenses and now looking at having to pay for care directly or delay and forego care. It's also a significant concern for health care systems, which are increasingly facing financial headwinds." The Minnesota Health Access Survey is a biennial state-based population survey that collects information on Minnesotans' health insurance coverage and health care access. The survey measures how many people in Minnesota have health insurance and how easy it is for them to get health care. The Minnesota Health Access Survey is conducted as a partnership between MDH and SHADAC, which is part of the Health Policy and Management Division of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. The survey had responses from more the 16,000 Minnesotans across the state and was conducted between September and December 2025. A fact sheet with more information about the 2025 results is available on the MDH Health Economics Program website. Complete data and additional analysis from the survey will be available online soon. -MDH- Media inquiries:
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026
News Release: Minnesota’s uninsured rate rises sharply according to latest data
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