Health risk assessment services
You First Health Risk Assessment -- Are you risking early death? How do stress, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, alcoholism, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity impact your personal wellness? Find out how with a free personal health assessment, which also give you ideas on how to lower your risk and lengthen your life.
Provider assessment services
HealthGrades -- An Internet service that grades the performance of health care providers in the United States. HealthGrades provides comprehensive health care ratings and profiles to consumers to help them make the most informed decisions regarding their healthcare.
Helpful health risk pool links
These high-risk health pools are for people who have been told by an insurance company that they are uninsurable because of a pre-existing health issue. These state pools allow their citizens to get coverage albeit at a higher price than the private market.
State health risk pools which have Web sites
Following are additional sources of information available from Internet web sites concerning state and federal insurance programs and regulations addressing coverage for high-risk individuals.
Georgetown University
Georgetown University's Institute of Health Care Research and Policy has established a new website that provides consumer information about how people can access and keep health insurance coverage. Includes information about state programs and regulations for group, individual and HMO coverage for each of the 50 states.
HIPPA Insurance Reform- Consumer Information
Life events, which can vary from the birth of a baby, the onset of a chronic condition or disabling disease, to divorce, changing jobs or a business closing, cutting back on staff or reducing the number of hours you work may affect your health insurance coverage.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the organization of insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the four U.S. territories.
Communicating for Agriculture & the Self-Employed
A special section in CA's website – which is primarily devoted to agriculture and small business information - provides information on state high risk health insurance plans, including addresses and phone numbers for each of the operating plans.
State and U.S. territories
departments of insurance or commerce
Here is a list of state agencies concerned with insurance regulation. Many of these sites have good consumer information, plus where to turn if you have problems.
State insurance department Web sites seem to change addresses rapidly, as shown by the number of updated listings (for one year) shown below. If a link is no longer active, try visiting the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Web site to see if there is an updated listing we are not yet aware of.
Associations and government sites
Communicating for Agriculture & the Self-Employed
CA for the self-employed is a national association for the self-employed, representing the interests of small businesses and -- since it's first incarnation -- farmers and ranchers . CA has been a leader in the movement to create risk pools in states across the nation as a way to help medically uninsurable individuals find affordable medical coverage, and continues that fight with it's most recent victory in South Dakota in 2003.
Healthfinder® -- A free gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthfinder® can lead you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information for the public.
Healthfinder® KIDS -- Great site offering health education for the younger set, with large doses of fun. Games, contests, safe places to surf, and information on alcohol, smoking, safety and more. Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Consumer.gov -- A "one-stop" link to a broad range of federal information resources available online. It is designed so that you can locate information by category -- such as Food, Health, Product Safety, Your Money, and Transportation. Each category has subcategories to direct you to areas within individual federal web sites containing related information; this link takes you directly to its health information.
Consumer Information Service, Pueblo CO
A listing of health publications available from the U.S. government -- most are free to U.S. Citizens.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Find information on what Medicare covers, who is eligible and how to enroll. Use our search tools to get a personalized report on Medicare health plans, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, participating physicians, and prescription drug programs in your area.
