Oklahoma Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Oklahoma?

Only three other states are less healthy places to live, according to the 2007 update of an ongoing study by a national health care foundation. In 2006 there were six.

Oklahoma has the fewest primary care physicians (pro-rated for population) in the nation. It also has the most cardiovascular deaths.

Only two other states' citizens take more sick days, and three states' citizens take more mental health days.

Other challenges face the state. It ranks in the bottom ten in 13 of the 20 categories ranked:

• Only six states have more premature death
• Only nine states have higher infant mortality
• Only five states have more preventable hospitalizations
• Only six states have more premature death
• Only nine states have worse prenatal care
• Only eight states have higher percentages of uninsured
• Only eight states have higher percentages of children in poverty
• Only six states have a more obese population
• Only three states have higher percentages of smokers

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

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Does Oklahoma have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Oklahoma Health Insurance High Risk Pool
Toll-free 1-800-255-6065 or (913) 362-0040

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.

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

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

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Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Oklahoma

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 Oklahoma.

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News headlines on Oklahoma health insurance

Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in Oklahoma at Google News or Yahoo News.

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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 Tom Coburn
  PHONE: 202-224-5754 (DC office)
  FAX: 202-224-6008 (DC office)
  Local offices
  Contact by E-mail

• Senator James Inhofe
  PHONE: 202-224-4721 (DC office)
  FAX: 202-228-0380 (DC office)
  Local offices
  Contact by E-mail
  
  

Contact your state officials:

• Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry
  2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 212
  Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Oklahoma City, OK 73105
  PHONE:  (405) 521-2342
  FAX: (405) 521-3353
  Contact by e-mail
  
  
  
• Contact your Oklahoma State Senator and State Representative

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USNews health insurance rankings for Oklahoma

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 Oklahoma.

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Official State Goverment Sites with Oklahoma Health Insurance Information

http://www.ohca.state.ok.us/

Oklahoma Health Care Authority -- the primary entity in the state of Oklahoma charged with controlling costs of state-purchased health care.

SoonerCare -- SoonerCare (Oklahoma Medicaid) is a health coverage program jointly funded by the federal and state government. This program helps pay some or all medical bills for many people who can't afford them.