Idaho Health Insurance

How healthy is living
in Idaho?

Idaho is ranked 17th in the United Health Foundation's 2012 comparison of health status across the 50 states.

The good news:

• Idaho has the sixth-lowest percentage of adult smokers.
• Many adults are physically active; the state ranks seventh for sedentary lifestyles.
• Infant mortality rates have dropped over the past 10 years.

The bad news:

• Idaho's 2012 overall ranking is the lowest it's been in the past five years.
• The percentage of children in poverty is 22.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent five years ago.

Idaho's best and worst category rankings:

• Preventable Hospitalizations – 4th
• Public Health Funding – 5th
• Smoking – 6th
• Lack of Health Insurance – 37th
• Immunization Coverage – 43th
• Primary Care Physicians – 50th

more details

• See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Idaho.
• Trust for America's Health ia another source for key Idaho 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 Idaho here.

get local health results

State snapshot too large? Get county-by-county health rankings for Idaho, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

Does Idaho have a health insurance high risk pool?

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

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Idaho started offering health care insurance coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Idaho'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 Idaho

• 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 Idaho.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tracking the progress of health insurance reform in each state. Its page for Idaho 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 Idaho health insurance plan report cards.

Idaho state government health insurance resources

Federal reform and health insurance in Idaho —  How the State of Idaho will implement the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

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

State of Idaho Medical Services —  Various state medical programs including medicaid, immunizations, mental health and more.

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

How did Idaho officials vote on health reform?

H.R.2: Repealing the Health Care Bill

#14

Date of Vote: 1/19/2011 Status: House passed 245-189, 1 not voting

HOUSE|SENATE

1/19/2011--Passed House amended. Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions. [more]

Yes (2)

• Raúl Labrador

• Michael Simpson