Michigan Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Michigan?

Michigan's health is definitely improved since 2007, according to the 2008 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation. The state rose four slots in the national ranking, up from 31st in 2007 to 27th in 2008.

The good news:

• Michigan held steady as the fifth healthiest state when ranked on its percentage of occupational fatalities (3.7 per 100,000 workers).
• The state also received good marks for a low rate of uninsured population (11 percent).
• in the past year, the number of children in poverty has dropped by 18 percent. Even more impressive, that number is down 29 percent since 1990.
• It also didn't hurt that the state saw a decrease in the prevalence of smoking, from 22.4 percent to 21.1 percent of the population.

The bad news:

• While Michigan was among the top states for health insurance coverage, it's actually doing worse. Its rate of 11 percent is increased slightly from 10.4 percent in 2007 – and significantly (up 53 percent) from 7.2 percent in 1990.
• The state held steady in ratings for violent crime, ranking 41st again this year.
• Michigan was also ranked 41st in three other measurement areas: prevalence of binge drinking, public health funding and cardiovascular deaths.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Occupational fatalities – 5th
• Lack of health insurance – 13th
• Geographic disparity – 13th
• Prevalence of binge drinking – 41st
• Violent crime – 41st
• Public health funding – 41st
• Cardiovascular deaths – 41st

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

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Does Michigan have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

No, Michigan does not offer a risk pool for its citizen's who are medically-uninsurable.

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.

Mini-meds a guaranteed-issue option for those who are medically uninsurable

An option for the medically uninsurable is a guaranteed-issue mini-med health insurance plan. There is no underwriting and no health questions are asked.

These plans provide basic coverage but are not designed to help with catastrophic expenses. They can often count as creditable coverage, eliminating the waiting period for pre-existing conditions if you later move to an employer-based plan. Read more here.

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Cover The Uninsured's guide on finding health insurance in Michigan

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

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USNews health insurance rankings for Michigan

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 Michigan.

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Official State Goverment Sites with Michigan Health Insurance Information

How to Get the Most Out of Your Health Coverage – Should you have questions, or need additional information, the staff of the Office of Financial and Insurance Services is available to provide assistance.

Information on HMOs in Michigan – from Michigan's Department of Labor and Health

PDF guide to Discount Health Insurance Plans – Michigan's Office of Financial and Insurance Services.

MIChild – a health insurance program for uninsured children of Michigan's working families. MIChild services are provided by many HMOs and other health care plans throughout Michigan.

Michigan's Patient Bill of Rights – knowing your rights and how to exercise them is the first step toward being a better consumer in today's health insurance market.