Oregon is the 20th healthiest state in which to live, says the 2007 update of a study by a leading health care foundation.
It makes it into the top ten in only two of the 20 ranked categories, coming in at #3 for preventable hospitalizations and #9 in the number of mental health days its citizens take.
On the other hand, it doesn't show up in the bottom 20 in any category -- a solid achievement.
Overall, Oregon has improved its ranking from 34th back in 1990.
See the United Health Foundation's latest findings on Oregon.
Oregon Medical Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-848-7280 or (503) 225-6620 (M-F 8am-5pm)
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 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.
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.
Find the most recent headlines on health insurance in Oregon at Google News or Yahoo News.

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.
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 Oregon.
The Family Health Insurance Assistance Program -- helps regon families pay the monthly premium for high-quality, private health insurance plans. FHIAP pays from 50 percent to 95 percent of the premium for Oregonians who are uninsured and meet income and other guidelines.
Healthy Kids -- part of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), it is a health insurance program for children of low-income families.