New Jersey Health Insurance

How healthy is living in New Jersey?

New Jersey earns the #18 spot in the 2009 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

• Prevalence of smoking – 3
• Prevalence of obesity – 3
• High school graduation – 5
• Occupational fatalities – 3
• Infectious disease – 41
• Air pollution – 39
• Immunization coverage – 42
• Primary care physicians – 8
• Preventable hospitalizations – 38
• Infant mortality – 7

See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on New Jersey.

Does New Jersey have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

New Jersey does not have a state risk pool. The state has guaranteed-issue meaning all citizens will be accepted at the same premium regardless of their health. Thus New Yorkers are lucky to have access to health insurance that is much better than a risk pool (which almost always charges a higher-than-the-going-rate because it is made up of uninsurable people).

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

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

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in New Jersey

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 New Jersey.

USNews health insurance rankings for New Jersey

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 New Jersey.

Official State Goverment Sites with New Jersey Health Insurance Information

New Jersey Health and Human Services -- Health Insurance section -- provides information health insurance for citizen's of New Jersey.

NJ FamilyCare -- low cost or no cost health insurance program from the State of New Jersey kids and certain low-income parents.

Non-profit sites of interest to those in New Jersey

New Jersey Citizens Action -- the state's largest citizen watchdog coalition, which says it works to protect and expand the rights of individuals and families and to ensure that government officials respond to the needs of people.