More than 1.3 million working-age veterans don’t have health insurance and are failing to take advantage of health care available through Veterans Affairs, a new study finds.

Researchers at the Urban Institute used census data to estimate health insurance coverage for veterans aged 19 to 64.

While veterans are more likely to have health insurance than the general population, about 1 in 10 of the nearly 12.5 million veterans under age 65 do not have health coverage either through the VA or other insurers.

The rates of uninsurance appear to be especially high for veterans under age 35.

“They are disproportionately younger, and they appear to have served more recently,” said Genevieve Kenney, a senior fellow with the Urban Institute and co-author of the report.

Kenney said the uninsured veterans also tended to have lower incomes and lower levels of education and were less likely to be full-time workers than the veterans with health coverage.

Contrary to popular belief, veterans are not automatically eligible for health care coverage once they leave the military. Jacob Gadd, deputy director for health care with the American Legion, said health coverage is generally provided to the poorest and the most badly injured of those who have served.

For example, combat veterans are eligible for five years of free medical care for any service-related issues. Other veterans can get at least some coverage for injuries if they can prove they are related to their service.

In addition, veterans who have very little income or are in financial distress can qualify to receive care through Veterans Affairs medical centers. (The VA provides an overview of who is eligible.)

Gadd said many veterans don’t appear to be aware of what benefits are available to them, especially if they have injuries from their time in service.

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American Legion research has shown that only about half of military members who have returned home from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have enrolled in the VA for health care.

“We are worried about the other half, whether they know if benefits are available to them,” Gadd said.

Gadd said some veterans may be choosing not to seek out health care, especially if they have post-traumatic stress or other conditions they fear could carry a stigma.

There are clear costs to not having health insurance. Kenney, of the Urban Institute, said separate research has shown that high numbers of uninsured veterans have health issues that are not being addressed.

About one-third of uninsured veterans said they were delaying care due to cost, the researcher found.

Related:

Younger veterans want to work, but face roadblocks

More workers opting out of company health care plans

Amid news the economy is improving, one group seems to be getting left behind: veterans.

The numbers are stark: The national unemployment rate is 8.3 percent; veterans under the age of 24 face an unemployment rate of 30 percent, Ann Curry reported this morning on CNBC.

She joined Carl Quintanilla hours after they co-hosted TODAY from Studio 1A to discuss a new NBC News initiative, Hiring our Heroes — a program she says she's almost "too passionate" about.

"There are an enormous number of highly skilled, highly trained people who have great things to offer, can give the fighting spirit to U.S. companies and the economy," Ann said. "And we shouldn't miss this boat."

Hiring our Heroes aims to help veterans find jobs. NBC will shine a light on the issue, provide employment resources and hold free job fairs across the country.

More than 1,500 veterans and military families and 100 companies are expected to participate in events on March 28th at the USS Intrepid in New York City and in Chicago and Fort Hood, Texas. Not in one of those locations? TODAY is partnering with Monster/Military.com to host a virtual job fair.

Find more details and sign up for the job fairs here.

NBC News and TODAY are joining forces with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to expand its Hiring our Heroes initiative.

There are more than 1 million unemployed veterans in America. As service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan during the next five years, hundreds of thousands of more men and women in uniform are leaving active duty. TODAY and the other NBC News properties will broadcast a three-day series in late March on this topic, culminating in free worldwide job fairs for veterans and military spouses on March 28.

Click here to register for the March 28th job fairs.

They are being held in:
- New York City on the USS Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
- Chicago at the Hilton Chicago
- Fort Hood, Texas. This event will primarily be for spouses
- Virtual job fair

Find more info for the job fairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring our Heroes website. 

The Chamber of Commerce is also aiming to host about 400 more job fairs over the course of the next year. Find out about and sign up for those job fairs here.

All events are open to veteran job seekers, active duty military members, Guard and Reserve members and eligible spouses.