Alabama Health Insurance

How healthy is living
in Alabama?

Alabama climbed three spots to 45th in the United Health Foundation's 2012 comparison of health status across the 50 states.

The good news:

• Binge drinking remains relatively low at 13.7 percent, which is fourth-lowest in the nation.
• High school graduation rates are improving. While still low at 69.9 percent, the rate is up almost five full percentage points in the past five years.

The bad news:

• Almost 25 percent of adults in Alabama smoke.
• A third of Alabama's adult population is considered sedentary.

Alabama's best and worst category rankings:

• Prevalence of Binge Drinking – 4th
• Geographic Disparity – 8th
• Public Health Funding – 10th
• Infant Mortality – 48th
• Low Birth Weight – 48th
• Premature Death – 48th
• Poor Mental Health Days – 48th
• Cardiovascular Deaths – 49th

more details

• See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Alabama.
• Trust for America's Health ia another source for key Alabama health quality findings. In addition, 2010's federal health reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), included the creation of a prevention fund to provide more than $16 billion over the next 10 years to invest in effective, proven prevention efforts, like childhood obesity prevention and tobacco cessation, and the site has a report on how it impacts Alabama here.

get local health results

State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for Alabama, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

Does Alabama have a health insurance high risk pool?

Alabama Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-800-513-1384 or (334) 353-8924

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Alabama started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Alabama's participation, click here.

Risk pools are state-sponsored programs to help people with a history of medical problems in their family to purchase coverage. These pools are for people who can afford to buy health insurance, but are not able to get underwritten in the private market because of a pre-existing health condition. These programs can vary significantly from state to state in price, benefits and number of people served. Often insurance companies doing business in the state are required to contribute to the pool to keep it in the black. In the best cases, they allow people to be able to switch jobs or become self-employed without the fear of losing their health insurance coverage. Read more about risk pools here.

Non-profit sources of health insurance information for Alabama

• The Foundation for Health Coverage Education's mission is to provide simplified public and private health insurance eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage. Here is its guide on how to find health insurance in Alabama.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for Alabama can be found here.
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, non-profit organization that, among other things, provides health care plan report cards for consumers. Search for Alabama health insurance plan report cards.

Alabama state government health insurance resources

Alabama Medicaid Agency —  The state/federal program that pays for medical and long-term care services for low-income pregnant women, children, certain people on Medicare, disabled individuals and nursing home residents – has income and other requirements.

Alabama Department of Senior Services —  Medicare resources (state health insurance assistance program) and more for Alabama’s older population.

All Kids —  All Kids is Alabama’s SCHIP program – providing low-cost, comprehensive health insurance for children 18 years and younger.

Alabama Department of Insurance, consumer page —  Alabama Department of Insurance provides regulation of the insuance industry to provide consumer protection and help maintain market stability.

How did Alabama officials vote on health reform?

H.R.2: Repealing the Health Care Bill

#14

Date of Vote: 1/19/2011 Status: House passed 245-189, 1 not voting

HOUSE|SENATE

1/19/2011--Passed House amended. Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions. [more]

Yes (6)

• Robert Aderholt
• Spencer Bachus

• Jo Bonner
• Mo Brooks

• Martha Roby
• Michael Rogers

Our
Pick

No (1)

• Terri Sewell