Virginia Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Virginia?

Virginia took the #21 spot in the 2009 ranking of the 50 healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Prevalence of smoking – 11
• Prevalence of bing drinking – th
• Prevalence of obesity – th
• High school graduation – th
• Violent crime – 10
• Occupational fatalities – th
• Infectious disease – th
• Children in poverty – th
• Air pollution – 34
• Lack of health insurance – th
• Public health funding – th
• Immunization coverage – 40
• Prenatal care – th
• Primary care physicians – 14
• Preventable hospitalizations – th
• Poor mental health days – 9
• Poor physical health days – 15
• Geographic disparity – 39
• Infant mortality – th
• Cardiovascular deaths – th
• Cancer deaths – th
• Premature death – th
• Primary care physicians – th

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

Does Virginia have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

No, Virginia does not offer its own risk pool for its citizens who are medically uninsurable.

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

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

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Virginia

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 Virginia.

USNews health insurance rankings for Virginia

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 Virginia.

Official State Goverment Sites with Virginia Health Insurance Information

Virginia's Bureau of Insurance – consumer information for state citizens dealing with agents or companies.

Virginia Department of Health – a site rich in information for Virginia citizens concerned about their health.

Virginia Health Insurance Guide for Consumers State of Virgina's PDF document with information about traditional health insurance and managed care health insurance plans.

FAMIS (Family Access to Medical Insuracne Security) – is Virginia's low-cost health insurance for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but do not have private health insurance.
Bienvenida al sitio Web de FAMIS – is Virginia's low-cost health insurance for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but do not have private health insurance.

Health Care Advocacy Groups in Virginia

Virginia Organizing Project – a statewide grassroots social justice group working to mobilize citizens to lobby for more affordable health care.