Affordable health insurance for the individual, the family and the self-employed

Louisiana Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Louisiana?

Only one state ranks as a more unhealthy state in which to live than Louisiana: Mississippi.

This is according to an annual ranking by United Health Foundation, which has been ranking states since 1990 when Louisiana was #50 (where it was also ranked in 2006).

Louisiana scores in the top ten in only one of 20 measurements taken by the group. It ranks 6th in the availability of adequate prenatal care. However, combined with that is one of the worst scores for infant morality -- nearly 10 babies per 1,000 live births die.

The state ranks in the bottom ten in 13 of the 20 categories. Here are a few of note:

Only four other states have higher violent crime rates.
Only five other states have higher infectious disease rates.
Only two other states have higher rates of children living in poverty.
Only one other state does a worse job of immunizing its children.
Only two other states have bigger percentages of uninsured (growing from 17.7 percent in 2006 to 21.9 percent in 2007).
Only two other states have higher rates of preventable hospitalizations.
Only one other state has a higher rate of infant mortality.
Only two other states have higher rates of cancer deaths.
Only one other state has a higher rate of premature deaths.

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

Does Louisiana have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Louisiana Health Plan
Toll-free 1-800-736-0947 or (504) 926-6245

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 Louisiana

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

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Louisiana

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 Louisiana.

News headlines on Louisiana health insurance

Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in Louisiana 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 Mary Landrieu
PHONE: 202-224-5824 (DC office)
FAX: 202-224-9735 (DC office)
Local offices (bottom of page)
Contact by E-mail

Senator David Vitter
PHONE: 202-224-4623 (DC office)
FAX: 202-228-5061 (DC office)
Local offices
Contact by E-mail

Contact your state officials:

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
Office of the Governor
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004
PHONE: 225-342-0919
FAX: 225-342-8365
Contact by e-mail
Contact your Louisiana State Senator
Contact your Louisiana State Representative

USNews health insurance rankings for Louisiana

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 Louisiana.

Official State Goverment Sites with Louisiana Health Insurance Information

Louisiana Department of Insurance/Health Insurance-- has descriptions of specific divisions and programs within the Department of Insurance that specifically deal with health insurance issues-- each listing has several contacts listed.

The department publishes this PDF consumer guide to individual health insurance in Louisiana.
The Senior Health Insurance Information Program is for Louisiana residents who have reached retirement age.
File a complaint against an insurance company doing business in Louisana. Here's a PDF guide on how to file a complaint.

Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals A 2005 report in PDF on health insurance in Louisiana. Get summary. Get full report.

Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP) provides no-cost health insurance to low-income children, including dental care. Includes doctor charges, hospitalization, immunization and other services.