Delaware Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Delaware?

Delaware fell one spot from 2007 to be ranked the 35th healthiest state, according to a 2008 study by the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

• The state was praised for its high rate of immunization coverage (81.8%) and a low percentage (13.1%) of children in poverty.
• Delaware was also ranked high for a low prevalence of smoking and ranked highest in the nation for a low geographic disparity within the state.

The bad news:

• The state's worst rankings were for a high prevalence of binge drinking, high infant mortality rate and high violent crime rate – which has risen by 60 percent since 1990.
• The rate of violent crime in Delaware has risen by 60 percent since 1990.

The state's best and worst category ratings:

• Geographic disparity – 1st
• Air pollution – 40th
• Cancer deaths – 42nd
• Infectious disease – 45th
• Violent crime offenses – 45th
• Prevalence of binge drinking – 46th
• Infant mortality – 46th

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

Does Delaware have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

No, Delaware does not offer a risk pool for its citizen's who are medically-uninsurable.

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 poolto 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. Find more on risk pools here.

Mini-meds a guaranteed-issue option for those who are medically uninsurable

An option for the medically uninsurable is a guaranteed-issue mini-med health insurance plan. There is no underwriting and no health questions are asked.

These plans provide basic coverage but are not designed to help with catastrophic expenses. They can often count as creditable coverage, eliminating the waiting period for pre-existing conditions if you later move to an employer-based plan. Read more here.

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

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 Delaware and all other states.
• Its guide on how to find health insurance in Delaware.
• Materiales En Español – Guías para encontrar cobertura de seguro de salud.

USNews health insurance rankings for Delaware

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 Delaware.

Official State Goverment Sites with Delaware Health Insurance Information

State of Delaware Department of Insurance -- the department has published "The Instant Insurance Guide: Health " as a guide to buying and using health insurance in Delaware. To obtain printed copies of the guide, please call 1-800-282-8611 or (302) 674-7310, or email consumer@state.de.us.

Delaware Healthy Children Program -- help for families meeting certain income guidelines get health insurance for their children age 18 and under.

State of Delaware Medicaid Information -- Medicaid furnishes medical assistance to low-income families and the elderly, blind and disabled people without enough income to pay for medical services.