Contingent workers were less likely than noncontingent workers to have health insurance
Overall, contingent workers were less likely to have health insurance coverage from any source (73 percent) in May 2017 than were noncontingent workers (84 percent). The gap in health insurance coverage between contingent and noncontingent workers is smaller than it was in 2005.
Contingent workers were half as likely as noncontingent workers to be covered by employer-provided health insurance. One-fourth of contingent workers had employer-provided health insurance in May 2017, compared with half of noncontingent workers. Although most contingent workers did not receive health insurance from their employers, a substantial share—nearly 3 in 4—had health insurance from some source, including coverage from another family member's policy, through a government program, or by purchasing it on their own.