Iowa Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Iowa?

Iowa found itself ranked 15th in the 2009 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

The good news:

• Iowa's high school graduation rate held steady at third in the nation as the percentage of incoming ninth grader who graduate within four years increased from 86.6 percent in 2008 to 86.9 percent in 2008.
• The state's low infant mortality rate (5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births) is second only to Utah.

The bad news:

• Only two states had a worse ranking when it came to the prevalence of binge drinking.
• Iowa again ranked 47 of 50 states in terms of access to primary care physicians. Iowa has just 84 physicians per 100,000 population.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Infant mortality – 2nd
• High school graduation – 3rd (86.9 percent of ninth graders eventually graduate)
• Lack of health insurance – 5th
• Poor physical health days – 5th
• Poor mental health days – 5th
• Premature death – 6th
• Prenatal care – 7th
• Infectious disease – 9th
• 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)

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Starting in 2010, Iowa will offer health coverage to residents through the federally established temporary high-risk pool program. To find out more about Iowa'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.

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.

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Iowa

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 help fund its research. Learn more about the Health Policy Institute.

Review Georgetown's guide for Iowa.

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.