Connecticut Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Connecticut?

Connecticut held steady, ranked at #2 among U.S. states, according to a 2009 study by the United Health Foundation. The state showed improvement in six categories of "core" measurement.

The good news:

• In the study's measurement of the prevalence of obesity, Connecticut is second only to Colorado, with 21.4 percent of the population classified as obese.
• Connecticut had the second best rating for geographic disparity, which measures the variation among the overall mortality rates among the counties within a state.

The bad news:

• The state's worst rating – 44th – was for immunization coverage for young children. In 2008, the state had the 3rd best rating.

The state's best and worst category ratings:

• Prevalence of obesity – 2nd
• Geographic disparity – 2nd
• Poor physical health days – 3rd
• Occupational fatalities – 5th
• Premature death – 5th
• Number of primary care physicians – 6th
• Children in poverty – 6th
• Prenatal care – 6th
• Prevalence of smoking – 7th
• Lack of health insurance – 7th
• Air pollution – 30th
• Public health funding – 33rd
• Prevalence of binge drinking – 35th
• Infectious disease – 37th
• Immunization coverage – 44th

See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Connecticut.

Does Connecticut have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association
Toll-free 1-800-842-0004 (M-F 9am-4pm EST)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Connecticut will offer health coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Connecticut'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.

Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in Connecticut

Cover The Uninsured is a national effort to highlight the fact that too many Americans are living without health insurance and to demand solutions from our nation's leaders. Read more information on its efforts. It is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• Cover The Uninsured's facts on the uninsured in Connecticut and all other states.
• Its guide on how to find health insurance in Connecticut.
• Materiales En Español – Guías para encontrar cobertura de seguro de salud.

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Connecticut

Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute has researched and written state-by-state guides for finding and keeping health insurance. It updates these guides as federal and state policies change. A number of non-profit organizations help fund its research. Learn more about the Health Policy Institute.

Review Georgetown's guide for Connecticut.

USNews health insurance rankings for Connecticut

US News does an annual ranking of what it considers the best health insurance plans in each state. Visit its reports on various health insurance or medical insurance plans being offered in Connecticut.

Official State Goverment Sites with Connecticut Health Insurance Information

Connecticut Insurance Department -- Official government Web site for department responsible for oversight of insurance companies doing business in Connecticut.

• Make a consumer complaint against health insurance companies in Connecticut.
• The state government publishes this list of Connecticut consumer health insurance links.
• Connecticut has this information on insurance issues for military personnel.

Connecticut HUSKY Plan -- the state Children's Health Insurance Program provides health insurance for children 18 and under whose family meets income guidelines. Parents, relatives, caregivers and pregnant women can also qualify for coverage.

Connecticut CHOICES Program -- provides free counseling for Medicare beneficiaries with questions.

Connecticut Medicaid -- the government program designed to help poor and indigent get health care. Pregnant women and children ages 18 and under who meet income requirements may be eligible for coverage, along with the aged, blind, and disabled. For more information about eligibility, contact your local Department of Social Services office.

Health insurance reform groups in Connecticut

The Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care -- represents citizen, labor, political, business, and health care professional organizations seeking universal health insurance for the state.

The Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut -- an independent, nonprofit charity that sees its work as part of a larger movement for social and economic justice.

Health Care Advocacy Groups in Connecticut

University Health Care Foundation of Connecticut – Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to achieving quality, affordable health care for everyone in Connecticut.