Idaho Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Idaho?

Idaho comes in at 15th in an annual list published by UnitedHealth Foundation which ranks the healthiest states to live in. It's four places higher than the state ranked in 2006.

Positive factors include a low smoking rate (3rd in the nation), a low rate of infectious diseases (5th), low percentage of cancer deaths (8th) and low rate of preventable hospitalizations (5th).

However, Idaho ranked near the bottom of the list for per capita spending on public health (48th with $70) and access to primary care physicians (49th).

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

---

Does Idaho have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Idaho Individual High Risk Reinsurance Pool
(link is to a PDF on program)
Toll-free 1-800-721-3272 (In-state only)

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.

---

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

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 Idaho.
• Its guide on how to find health insurance in Idaho.
• Materiales En Español -- Guías para encontrar cobertura de seguro de salud.

---

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Idaho

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 contribute to funding its research. Find more on the Health Policy Institute.

• Georgetown's guide for Idaho.

---

News headlines on Idaho health insurance

Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in Idaho at Google News or Yahoo News.

---

Want single-payer health care? Concerned about the uninsured?
Contact your elected officials about health care issues

Contact your federal officials. Phone calls are best. Faxes are good, too. Since 9-11 postal mail creates long delays, and many members of Congress simply do not take e-mail seriously -- however, since e-mail is so easy it doesn't hurt to do that, too. Members of the Senate and Congress will usually ignore any correspondence that is not from their district, so its not desirable to blanket e-mail them (this type of abuse is why many do not view it favorably). The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a guide on how to contact your elected officials, including a valuable list of dos and dont's.

• Contact the White House
  Phone: toll free 1-800-671-7887 (ask for the Comment Line)
  FAX: 1 202-456-2461 (fax)
  E-mail:comments@whitehouse.gov
  
  
• Find contact information on your U.S. Representative
  Locate by using your ZIP Code
  Or if you know who your representative is, simply call the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at 1-800-962-3524

• Senator Larry Craig
  PHONE: 202-224-2752 (DC office)
  FAX: 202-228-1067 (DC office)
  Local offices
  Contact by E-mail

• Senator Mike Crapo
  PHONE: 202-224-6142 (DC office)
  FAX: 202-228-1375 (DC office)
  Local offices
  Contact by E-mail
  
  

Contact your state officials:

• Idaho Governor Butch Otter
  P.O. Box 83720
  Boise, Idaho 83720
  PHONE: 208-334-2100
  Contact by e-mail
  
  
  
• Contact your Idaho State Senator and State Representative

---

USNews health insurance rankings for Idaho

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 Idaho.

---

Official State Goverment Sites with Idaho Health Insurance Information

Idaho Department of Insurance Consumer Publications -- includes a "Shopping Guide to Health Insurance" published by the State of Idaho and other publications.

Senior Health Insurance Benefit Advisors Program -- services for Idaho citizens on Medicare.

Information on Idaho and Medicaid -- Idaho's three Medicaid plans to provide for eligible residents.

Idaho Child -- helps qualifying low-income families get health insurance for their children ages 18 and under.