Living is good in the Midwest. Iowa slid three positions in an annual ranking of the healthiest states in which to live, but still ranks a respectable 14th. The annual rankings are released by UnitedHealth Foundation.
Some of the highlights:
Not all is rosy. Iowa has a big problem with binge drinking -- only two states have a bigger problem withhh this. There is also a shortage of primary care physicians -- only three states have fewer doctors per 100,000 people.
See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Iowa.
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 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.
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.
Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in Iowa at Google News or Yahoo News.

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.
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.
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.