Iowa Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Iowa?

Iowa fell one spot – from 14th to 15th – in the 2008 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

• The state's low infant mortality rate (five deaths per 1,000 live births) is second only to Washington.
• Iowa's high school graduation rate climbed to third in the nation as the percentage of incoming ninth grader who graduate within four years increased from 85.8 in 2007 to 86.6 percent in 2008.

The bad news:

• Only two states had a worse ranking when it came to the prevalence of binge drinking.
• Iowa also ranked 47 of 50 states in terms of access to primary care physicians. Iowa has just 83 physicians per 100,000 population, compared to the national average of 120.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Infant mortality – 2nd
• High school graduation – 3rd (86.6 percent of ninth graders eventually graduate)
• Poor mental health days – 3rd
• Poor physical health days – 4th
• Premature death – 8th
• Infectious disease – 9th
• Lack of health insurance – 9th
• Public health funding – 44th
• Number of primary care physicians – 47th
• Prevalence of binge drinking – 48th

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

Does Iowa have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Health Insurance Plan of Iowa
Toll-free 1-877-793-6880 (M-F 8am-5pm CST)

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 Iowa

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

USNews health insurance rankings for Iowa

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 Iowa.

Official State Goverment Sites with Iowa Health Insurance Information

Iowa Insurance Division Consumers Affairs Bureau -- includes information on health care and insurance topics for consumers in Iowa.

Iowa Hawk I -- Iowa's program to help families with low income provide health insurance for their children.

Iowa's Senior Health Insurance Information Program -- can provide answers to questions on Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, long term care insurance and other health insurance issues.

Iowa Medicaid Enterprise -- government program to help the poor obtain health care services. Also eligible are pregnant women and children 18 and under who meet income requirements, along with aged, blind, and disabled individuals.