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District of Columbia Health Insurance
How healthy is living
in District of Columbia?
The District of Columbia is not rated by America's Health Rankings®, the annual United Health Foundation report that identifies the healthiest states because its highly urban nature makes it unique from the states. However, the foundation does include 2012 data about the District of Columbia.
The good news:
- The high school graduation rate is low, but it rose from 56.0 percent in 2011 to 62.4 percent in 2012.
- The percentage of uninsured individuals dropped about two points to 10.6 percent.
- The infant mortality rate dropped from 18.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2007 to 10.3 in 2012.
The bad news:
- More than one-third of children are in poverty. This figure has increased over the past five years.
- Infectious disease rates are high: 27 cases per 100,000 people in 2012.
more details
- See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on District of Columbia.
- Trust for America's Health ia another source for key District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia here.
get local health results
State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for District of Columbia, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.
Does District of Columbia have a health insurance high risk pool?
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, District of Columbia started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about District of Columbia'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 District of Columbia
- 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 District of Columbia.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia health insurance plan report cards.
District of Columbia state government health insurance resources
Health reform information for the District of Columbia — How the District will implement the Affordable Care Act.
Department of Health — Department of Health doh.dc.gov Phone: (202) 442-5955 Fax: (202) 442-4788 825 North Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Designs public health systems, diagnoses and investigates health threats, develops policy, provides education and disease prevention, and administers the low-income Medicaid insurance program.
District of Columbia reform, single-payer health care information
The District of Columbia and health care reform — When making decisions about health coverage, consumers should know the specifics regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
State-specfic information on the Physicans National Health Program in District of Columbia.
The Affordable Care Act: Immediate Benefits for District of Columbia -- How the Affordable Health Care act will improve the lives of people living in District of Columbia.
Why health care reform is important to District of Columbia -- This 2009 document by the AARP provides a compelling case f for health reform in District of Columbia.
The Benefits of Health Reform In District of Columbia -- The Democratic Policy Committee of the United States Senate looks at benefits of health reform for the citizens of District of Columbia.
Other helpful District of Columbia health and medical care links
District of Columbia Primary Care Association — DCPCA is a leader in the health care community as a nonprofit health action and advocacy organization working to ensure that all residents of Washington, DC have the ability and opportunity to lead healthier lives – through increased health care coverage, expanded access, improved quality, workforce development, and enhanced communication. Read the rest of this [...]
District of Columbia mental health resource guide, offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Government.
The National Coalition on Health Care's information for District of Columbia -- America's oldest, most diverse, and broadest based group working to achieve comprehensive health system reform.
Health insurance exchange
District of Columbia's exchange
Find out what your state's health insurance exchange will look like.
District of Columbia health insurance premium rebates
$47 million to 592,234 families
Insurance companies were forced to return an average of $157 per family in 2012.
Most-read articles
State Health Insurance Guides
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Health Insurance News
Vermont Health Connect for 2014, single-payer system in 2017
By Carla Anderson
healthinsurance.orgTM contributor
Vermont is creating a health benefit exchange to comply with the Affordable Care Act, but the state has plans to go well beyond that. A 2011 state law envisions Vermont with a single-payer health care system as soon as 2017.
For now, Vermont is implementing a state-based exchange: Vermont Health Connect. The state-based exchange was authorized by the state legislature and signed into law in 2012. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved the state’s plan in January 2013. The state is using a 2012 federal grant of $104.2 million to design a technology system that will support the state-based health insurance exchange in the short-term and the single-payer system in the longer term. Individuals and businesses with 50 employees or fewer who want to purchase health insurance will have to do so through the exchange beginning in 2014 – policies will not be sold outside the exchange.
In 2017 Vermont plans to seek a waiver from the federal government to transition to Green Mountain Care, a single-payer system that will provide universal coverage.
According to Kaiser’s State Health Facts, 9 percent of Vermonters are uninsured; that’s about 56,340 people. Vermont estimates that 110,000 state residents will use the exchange to buy insurance.
Updated May 16, 2013
More Vermont health insurance exchange links
State Exchange Profile: Vermont
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation overview of Vermont’s progress toward creating a state health insurance exchange.
Affordable Care Act in Your State: Vermont
Virginia ultimately chooses federal health insurance exchange
By Carla Anderson
healthinsurance.orgTM contributor
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, opposed the Affordable Care Act. But along with the Republican-controlled General Assembly, he was conflicted as how best to resist the law’s implementation in the state. In a 2011 letter to state legislative leaders, McDonnell wrote of extreme difficulty in determining whether “ceding control of an exchange to the federal government or creating our own is in the Commonwealth’s best interest.” The governor’s and General Assembly’s actions over the next several years reflected their shared reluctance to implement either option.
In August 2010, McDonnell appointed the Health Reform Initiative Advisory Council. The council issued a report in December 2010 and recommended that Virginia implement a state-based exchange.
The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2010 to invalidate the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, and the state attorney general filed a lawsuit against Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, based on the new law. After a series of legal actions, the state law ultimately ruled invalid.
In 2011, the General Assembly passed legislation that was supportive of a state-based exchange, and McDonnell signed the bill into law. However, throughout the 2012 session the General Assembly failed to pass additional legislation necessary to move ahead with exchange implementation.
Finally, after President Obama’s re-election, McDonnell notified HHS that Virginia would not proceed with a state-based exchange nor Medicaid expansion. While the norm for the federally operated exchange leaves no role for the state, McDonnell did lobby for oversight of the health plans that will operate on the exchange within the state. HHS approved McDonnell’s request in March 2013.
According to Kaiser’s State Health Facts, 14 percent of Virginians do not have health insurance.
Updated May 14, 2013
More Virginia health insurance exchange links
Virginia Health Reform Initiative
Virginia Consumer Assistance Program
Assists people insured by private health plans, Medicaid, or other plans in resolving problems pertaining to their health coverage; assists uninsured residents with access to care.
(877) 310-6560 / bureauofinsurance@scc.virginia.gov
State Exchange Profile: Virginia
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation overview of Virginia’s progress toward creating a state health insurance exchange.
Affordable Care Act in Your State: Virginia
Utah wins approval for dual-model exchange
By Carla Anderson
healthinsurance.orgTM contributor
Along with Massachusetts, Utah has a health insurance exchange that predates the Affordable Care Act. However, unlike the exchanges called for by the Affordable Care Act, Utah’s exchange is not open to individual consumers to purchase health insurance. That fact has led to a series of discussions and negotiations between the state and the U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) — and ultimately, a unique approach that is attracting interest from other states.
The Utah Health Exchange was established in 2009 and rebranded as Avenue H in October 2012. Avenue H offers a “fixed contribution” approach for small employers. An employer contributes a fixed amount toward each employee’s health insurance. An employee then uses the exchange website to pick an insurer and policy to fit his or her individual or family needs. By late 2012 about 320 small businesses provided health insurance to about 7,600 people through the exchange.
Gov. Gary Herbert asked President Obama to direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve Utah’s exchange and to consider it a “minimum standard” for an ACA-compliant state-based exchange. In January 2013, HHS granted conditional approval for Utah’s exchange while maintaining that it must be expanded to serve individual consumers. Herbert continued to lobby for HHS to accept the Avenue H “as is” and proposed in February that the state continue running its small business exchange and that the federal government operate the individual exchange. In May, HHS and Utah reached an agreement for this dual-model approach. Once HHS officially changes its rules governing exchanges, other states could also pursue the dual-model approach.
According to Kaiser’s State Health Facts, about 14 percent of Utah’s population is uninsured.
Updated May 14, 2013
More Utah health insurance exchange links
Health Insurance Division Consumer Service
Assists consumers who have purchased insurance on the individual market or who have insurance through an employer who only does business in Utah.
(801) 538-3077
Office of Consumer Health Assistance (OCHA)
Serves residents with health care complaints.
(801) 538-9674 / Toll-Free: 1-800-439-3805 / health.uid@utah.gov
State Exchange Profile: Utah
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation overview of Utah’s progress toward creating a state health insurance exchange.
DC health insurance companies
Health insurance companies in District of Columbia.
Get health insurance quotes for these companies.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Celtic Ins. Co.
Golden Rule
Kaiser Mid-Atlantic
Doctor directory for District of Columbia
Find licensed physicians near you. Each state is home to organizations that can help you find and research physicians, offering online information about a physician's license, schooling, practice information and more.
District of Columbia Licensee SearchDistrict of Columbia Health Professional Licensing Administration
Other District of Columbia Public Resources
Medical Society of the District of Columbia
Health insurance for individuals DC
Resources for those individuals seeking health care insurance in District of Columbia. If you are looking for District of Columbia Medicare, visit our site for health insurance over 65.
The cost of repealing Obamacare
How District of Columbia would fare
District of Columbia could lose if important protections are undone.
How your member of Congress voted
healthreformvotes.org
Your members of the District of Columbia Congressional delegation voted on health care reform.