REGIONAL — New data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows a sharp increase in Minnesotans without health insurance, reversing several years of progress expanding coverage.
According to the latest Minnesota Health Access Survey, the state’s uninsured rate rose from a historic low of 3.8 percent in 2023 to 5.8 percent in 2025. That represents roughly 116,000 more Minnesotans without health insurance, the highest uninsured rate since 2017.
“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.”
Survey data suggests the increase is largely tied to declining public coverage, with the share of Minnesotans covered by public programs falling from 44.1 percent in 2023 to 39.6 percent in 2025.
The uninsured rate among children also increased, rising from 2.7 percent to 4.6 percent.
Coverage losses occurred statewide. In metropolitan areas, the uninsured rate climbed from 3.4 percent to 5.7 percent, while rural Minnesota saw the rate rise from 4.3 percent to 6.7 percent.
The survey also highlights persistent coverage disparities. More than 20 percent of Hispanic Minnesotans reported being uninsured, more than three times the statewide rate and far higher than the 11.4 percent reported two years ago.
Uninsured rates also rose among Black and American Indian Minnesotans. The rate for Black Minnesotans increased from 6.3 percent to 10.1 percent, while the rate among American Indians climbed from 5.7 percent to 10.5 percent.
The uninsured rate for White Minnesotans also rose, from 2.5 percent to 3.8 percent.
Income plays a major role as well. Minnesotans with incomes below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines were more than twice as likely to be uninsured, with about 13 percent lacking coverage 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. “Getting sick or injured when you are uninsured can have terrible consequences for a family’s finances.”
The survey also found growing anxiety about losing health insurance. More than 12 percent of insured Minnesotans said they worry about losing coverage, up from 7.7 percent in 2023. Concern about rising insurance costs also jumped, increasing from 17.5 percent to 28.8 percent.
“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.”
The Minnesota Health Access Survey is conducted every two years by the Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota. The 2025 survey included responses from more than 16,000 Minnesotans collected between September and December.