Wisconsin Health Insurance

How healthy is living in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin climbed five spots – from #17 to #12 – in the 2009 ranking of the healthiest states by the United Health Foundation.

The state's best and worst category rankings:

• Prevalence of binge drinking – 50
• High school graduation – 1
• Occupational fatalities – 5
• Infectious disease – 8
• Children in poverty – 8
• Lack of health insurance – 4
• Public health funding – 50
• Immunization coverage – 3

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

Does Wisconsin have a risk pool for the uninsurable?

Wisconsin Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan
Toll-free 1-800-828-4777

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

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

Georgetown University's Guide to Health Insurance in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin.

USNews health insurance rankings for Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin.

Official State Goverment Sites with Wisconsin Health Insurance Information

BadgerCare -- a Wisconsin program to provide health care coverage for uninsured families.

BadgerCare PLUS -- a Wisconsin program to provide health care coverage for all kids, regardless of family income, and affordable health care for working families and pregnant women.

Wisconsin Medicaid -- information on the federal/state program to provide health coverage for those without the means to pay for it.

Advocacy

The Coalition for Wisconsin Health -- is a collaborative effort of 60 religious, social concern, human rights, health care and labor organizations, working to reform health care in the United States.

Wisconsin Healthcare For All -- an approach to provide health care for all citizens without a single-payer system.