In the U.S., health insurance helps people get the health care they need. Health care can be very expensive. When a person is insured, either a private company or a government program pays some or all of their medical bills.

People without health insurance are less likely to seek medical care for routine conditions or injuries or receive preventative care. Most adults 65 and older are covered by Medicare or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) so this page presents health insurance coverage among Minnesotans under 65 years of age.

The Minnesota Health Access Survey is a large-scale population survey that studies how Minnesotans access health insurance and health care services. Results from the survey inform policy that can help improve access to health care and health insurance for all Minnesotans.

  • Health insurance by year
  • Health insurance by race and ethnicity
  • Health insurance by age
  • Health insurance by sex

Health insurance in Minnesota

The proportion of people uninsured (without health insurance) in Minnesota significantly increased from 2001 to 2011 and then decreased between 2011 and 2015. In 2025, about 7% of Minnesotans under 65 years of age were uninsured, which is an increase from about 4% in 2023.

Source: Minnesota Health Access Survey. For people aged 0-64 years. Group insurance is provided by employers to employees and their spouses and dependents. Non-group insurance (previously called “individual” insurance) is self-purchased and not obtained through an employer. In 2019, the Minnesota Health Access Survey moved from an exclusively random digit dial (RDD) frame to a dual RDD and address-based sample (ABS) frame and web-based survey, and 2021 was exclusively an ABS sample frame. Due to these changes, results beginning with 2019 may not be directly comparable to previous years.

Display ID
Topic
Dataset
Year
Geography
Geo ID
Geo Name
Variable
Group
Measure
Value
Lower CL
Upper CL
Note
Label

    Minnesotans without health insurance, by race or ethnicity

    Minnesotans that identified as Hispanic were the most likely to lack health insurance in 2025, whereas Minnesotans that identified as either Asian or White were the most likely to have health insurance coverage. The other categories were not significantly different from the statewide average.

    Source: Minnesota Health Access Survey. Data are for people aged 0-64 years in 2025. In 2019, the Minnesota Health Access Survey moved from an exclusively random digit dial (RDD) frame to a dual RDD and address-based sample (ABS) frame and web-based survey, and 2021 was exclusively an ABS sample frame. Due to these changes, results beginning with 2019 may not be directly comparable to previous years.

    Display ID
    Topic
    Dataset
    Year
    Geography
    Geo ID
    Geo Name
    Variable
    Group
    Measure
    Value
    Lower CL
    Upper CL
    Note
    Label

      Minnesotans without health insurance, by age

      Historically, young adults in Minnesotans (between 26-34 years) are significantly more likely to be uninsured than the statewide average and this pattern has been consistent over time in the state. In 2025, adults aged either 26-34 years or 35-54 years were less likely to have health insurance compared to the statewide average. The youngest Minnesotans (age 0-5 years) were more likely to have health insurance coverage compared to the state as a whole.

      Source: Minnesota Health Access Survey. Data are for 2025.

      Display ID
      Topic
      Dataset
      Year
      Geography
      Geo ID
      Geo Name
      Variable
      Group
      Measure
      Value
      Lower CL
      Upper CL
      Note
      Label

        Minnesotans without health insurance, by sex

        Over time, the proportion of uninsured males increased from 2001 to 2009, began to decrease in 2011, and then dropped dramatically in 2015. However, this number has increased since then and, while it varied in recent years, remains higher than 2015 levels. Females tend to have better health insurance coverage than males. Children generally have better health insurance coverage than the statewide average in Minnesota; about 5% of children (<18 years) lacked health insurance in 2025, which has worsened in recent years but is still better than the statewide average for Minnesotans <65 years overall.

        Source: Minnesota Health Access Survey. Data are for males and females 0-64 years and children under 18 years.

        Display ID
        Topic
        Dataset
        Year
        Geography
        Geo ID
        Geo Name
        Variable
        Group
        Measure
        Value
        Lower CL
        Upper CL
        Note
        Label
          • Health insurance by region

          Minnesotans without health insurance, by region

          Health insurance coverage varies by region of Minnesota. Learn more from MDH about SCHSAC regions. Most regions are similar to the statewide average. However, the Minneapolis/St. Paul region is higher than the statewide average, meaning less people have health insurance. The South East region of Minnesota is lower than the statewide average, meaning more people have health insurance.

          Source: Minnesota Health Access Survey. Data are for people aged 0-64 years in 2025.
          Display ID
          Topic
          Dataset
          Year
          Geography
          Geo ID
          Geo Name
          Variable
          Group
          Measure
          Value
          Lower CL
          Upper CL
          Note
          Label