Finding affordable medical care is difficult for people who are uninsured.
Finding health care is not difficult for people without health insurance, but it can be expensive. Some health care providers don't accept patients who are uninsured. There are affordable options available, but they often require time-consuming research, paperwork and traveling.
Public Health Insurance
The first option is to check eligibility for public health insurance through state and federal programs. Medicare is available for American citizens and legal aliens age 65 and older or those who have received Social Security disability for two years. Medicaid is available for low-income single parents, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. Five states--Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, New York and Connecticut--also have partial or fully subsidized programs and allow buy-in opportunities for state insurance programs for individuals or businesses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Prescription Drug Help
Pharmaceutical assistance programs are available.
State pharmaceutical assistance programs provide programs offer free and low-cost prescription drug programs in 38 states. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, NeedyMeds and RxAssist also provide free prescription drugs to eligible applicants.
Help With Premiums
States that offer premium assistance with Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Programs include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virgina. Nine states offer additional premium assistance programs to help small businesses or low-income individuals buy insurance in the private market--Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington state.
Hill-Burton Centers
Look for Hill-Burton hospitals and clinics.
There are hospitals and other nonprofit medical centers that receive federal Hill-Burton funding, so they can offer free or low-cost services to those who can't pay. Each center chooses which services it will provide at no or lowered cost. Medicare and Medicaid services aren't eligible for Hill-Burton coverage, but the program may cover services that other government programs don't. Eligibility for Hill-Burton is based on family size and income. Individuals can apply for Hill-Burton help at any time, either before or after receiving care.
Local and State Health Departments
State and local health departments provide free immunizations and communicable disease testing and treatment.
Many local health department provide free or low-cost immunizations, testing and treatment for communicable diseases, such as sexually transmitted diseases, flu, HIV and tuberculosis.
State health departments can provide information about the federal programs, such as the Breast and Cervical Prevention and Treatment program that provides free mammograms and cervical cancer routine and diagnostic screenings and, if necessary, cancer treatment and follow-up care.
Charity Clinics and Groups
Community groups like the Lions Club provide free or discounted eye care and eyeglasses programs. EyeCare America provides medical eye care at no out-of-pocket expense. The American Cancer Society also offers services such as free transportation to cancer treatments, free lodging for cancer patients and caregivers, and indirect financial assistance with out-of-pocket expenses for low-income patients. Local nonprofit hospitals also may offer free clinics to uninsured people for routine, general medical care and sometimes specialty care. Planned Parenthood offers free and low-cost birth control and reproductive health and testing.
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