Utah Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Utah?

Utah edged even closer to the pinnacle in the 2009 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation. The state climbed to #2 in this year's analysis.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Prevalence of smoking – 1
• Prevalence of bing drinking – 1
• Prevalence of obesity – 5
• Violent crime – 6
• Occupational fatalities – th
• Infectious disease – 6
• Children in poverty – 2
• Primary care physicians – 45
• Preventable hospitalizations – 2
• Poor physical health days – 5
• Geographic disparity – 44
• Infant mortality – 1
• Cardiovascular deaths – 3
• Cancer deaths – 1
• Premature death – 7

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

Does Utah have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-705-9173 or (801) 442-6660

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

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

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Utah

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 Utah.

USNews health insurance rankings for Utah

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 Utah.

Official State Goverment Sites with Utah Health Insurance Information

Utah Department of Human Services: Insurance Programs -- Medicare, Medicaid and long term health insurance information.

Utah Children's Health Insurance Program -- families who cannot afford to buy health insurance for their children may be eligible for health coverage through the Utah CHIP.

Advocacy

Utah Health Policy Project -- a resource for the public, community leaders, businesses, health care providers and policy makers interested in strengthening the health care system while working to develop visionary and systemic solutions to the crisis of the uninsured and under-insured.

Democracy for Utah: Heath Care -- a resource for the public, community leaders, businesses, health care providers and policy makers interested in strengthening the health care system while working to develop visionary and systemic solutions to the crisis of the uninsured and under-insured.