District of Columbia Health Insurance

How healthy is living in District of Columbia?

The District of Columbia is not rated by the annual United Health Foundation ranking that identifies the healthiest states because its highly urban nature makes it distinctively unique from the states. However, the foundation does include data about the the District of Columbia.

The good news:

• By the numbers, the District actually fared well in eight of the 22 categories measured – and would have ranked among the top 10 states in six categories.
• In comparison to the states, D.C.'s prevalence of obesity was low enough to have earned it a #6 ranking.
• The District would have earned a #8 ranking for number of poor mental health days per month and #9 for poor physical health days per month.
• When it came to health insurance coverage, the District did better than average, with 10.5 percent uninsured, compared to 15.5 percent nationally. That was a decrease over the previous year.
• The percentage of the District's children in poverty decreased slightly, from 31.8 percent in 2007 to 29.2 percent in 2008.

The bad news:

• D.C.'s high violent crime rate is off the charts – with 1,414 offenses per 100,000 population, compared to a national average of 467 per 100,000.
• Not surprisingly, the premature death rate – measuring potential life lost before age 75 – was staggering (12,175 years lost per 100,000 population), and D.C. would have been ranked last of the states.
• And, while the percentage of children in poverty decreased from the previous year, the District would still have been ranked 49th of the 50th states.

See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on District of Columbia.

Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in District of Columbia

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

News headlines on District of Columbia health insurance

Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in District of Columbia at Google News or Yahoo News.

USNews health insurance rankings for District of Columbia

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 District of Columbia.

Official District Goverment Sites with Health Insurance Information

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.

Office on Latino Affairs
ola.dc.gov
Phone:    (202) 671-2825
Fax:    (202) 673-4557
2000 14th Street, NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20009

Ensures that the Latino community has full access to quality health, education, employment, and social services in the District.